Liberal MP Ted O’Brien urges business to ‘get real’ on Beijing

Liberal MP Ted O’Brien – the Morrison government’s Mandarin-speaking China expert – has told businesses they need to “get real” on Beijing.

Liberal MP Ted O'Brien. Picture: Sunshine Coast Daily

Liberal MP Ted O’Brien, the Morrison government’s Mandarin-speaking China expert, has told businesses to “get real” on China, warning that Australia needs to limit Beijing’s ability to use liberal values “against us”.

Mr O’Brien used a speech to the Australian Institute of International Affairs on Thursday to warn Beijing had a different concept of sovereignty to Australia and considered all ethnic Chinese as citizens.

In a separate interview with The Australian he also took aim at opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong after she accused Scott Morrison of endangering our relationship with China by “using alarmist rhetoric for domestic political gain”.

“My concern is that not only does he not fully comprehend Australia’s interests in relation to China, he doesn’t even seek to,” Senator Wong said of the Prime Minister.

Mr O’Brien said it was crucial that governments and the business sector work together, declaring China had effectively taken a leaf out of warrior philosopher Sun Tzu’s textbook and was seeking to create division to further its own geopolitical interests.

“They seek to sow division between Australian businesses and the Australian government so the former might pressure the latter into folding,” he said.

Last week, Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox urged the government to calm tensions with China through “negotiation, common sense and diplomacy”, but not at the expense of our national interests.

Mr O’Brien told The Australian he thought Mr Willox’s contribution was excellent but the fact Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had welcomed the comments reinforced his point that Beijing was trying to drive a wedge between the business sector and government.

“There have been some business leaders who have decided to provide some gratuitous advice to government by providing motherhood statements about the importance of the relationship – that’s their right but it’s not helpful. They are trying to create division between the government and business community.”

Mr O’Brien took aim at Senator Wong’s comments, saying he was not interested in her political pointscoring, declaring her comments “a disgraceful performance unbefitting of an alternative foreign minister”. “Do her personal attacks on the Prime Minister of Australia advance our interests internationally?”