Kevin Rudd accuses the Liberals of causing China hysteria

The Coalition derailed Australia-China relations, Kevin Rudd says, as he warns of an era of McCarthyism.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has accused the Liberals of whipping up national hysteria over China. Picture: News Corp

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has warned Australia could slide into an era of McCarthyism amid growing strategic tension between Australia and China and an escalation in the trade dispute between the Asian superpower and the US.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra today Mr Rudd said while there were “very real” concerns about issues such as foreign interference, cybersecurity and political donations, he cautioned Australia not to become “hysterical” over China.

“Let us not turn this into neo-McCarthyism,” Mr Rudd said. “It’s very easy to slide into a bit of national hysteria.”

Mr Rudd, who is currently living in New York where he is president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said it was clear there was a problem with anti-China rhetoric because he was often approached by concerned members of the Chinese community.

“When Chinese-Australians come up to me in the middle of the street and say they are copping abuse and when American-Chinese say the same to me as well we have to very careful about how we manage these debates,” Mr Rudd said. “It’s very easy to slide into that particular direction.”

Mr Rudd said he believed it was possible to maintain a balanced relationship with America and China while managing evolving challenges that arise.

He said Australia was still being kept in the diplomatic freezer over former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s “quite egregious” comments in December 2018 when he parodied a famous statement from Chairman Mao by saying “Australian people had stood up” to China.

“You could not pick a single phrase to be more offensive,” Mr Rudd said. “I think the freezer treatment is being applied. But to be fair to this government, the Australia-China relationship has always been difficult.”

Turnbull comments in 2017:

. @TurnbullMalcolm : Turnbull has denied he feels intimidated or bullied by China's complaint. 'Chinese people stand up for their sovereignty and they expect Australian people and particularly Australian leaders to stand up for theirs'. MORE: https://t.co/sRwmUNcEVW pic.twitter.com/TtucgLLwM2

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 9, 2017

Mr Rudd said Mr Turnbull had effectively derailed the delicate relationship between Australia and China, a relationship, Mr Rudd said, has been more deftly handled by Mr Turnbull’s successor, Scott Morrison.

He also lashed Liberal MP Andrew Hastie for comparing China’s rise to that of Nazi Germany earlier this month, which drew a mixed reaction from his Coalition colleagues and prompted condemnation from Beijing.

Mr Rudd described Mr Hastie as a “post-pubescent politician”, who was looking to make his name by appearing firm on China.

He said an excessive sense of “yellow perilism” had been exacerbated by conservative members of parliament.

Mr Hastie, who is the chair of parliament’s security and intelligence committee, also said at the time that Australia would face its biggest democratic, economic and security test as China and the US compete for global dominance.