Banned Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo calls Australia a ‘giant baby’

Banned Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo has described Australia as being like a ‘giant baby’.

Huang Xiangmo at the Sydney Opera House. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo has described Australia as being like a “giant baby” that had a long way to go to grow up when it came to foreign policy.

In an interview with China’s Global Times newspaper yesterday, Mr Huang, now in Hong Kong after having his permanent residency in Australia cancelled, said he had developed theories about Australia after having lived there for many years.

He said Australia was still working out its own position in the world, including its relations with China. “China-Australia ­relations have always stumbled over the years,” he said.

“The root cause is that in a new era of international relations, Australia has not found a position that best meets Australia’s national interest. The history of Australia has determined (sic) the innate characteristics of a giant baby.

“This is an objective fact and it does mean Australia has to feel ­inferior. The growth of a giant baby takes time and Australia still has a long way to go.”

Mr Huang said he chose to move to Australia from Hong Kong seven years ago, “not only because we liked the beautiful scenery and simple folk customs” but also because it had a long history of Chinese settlement.

He said the cancellation of his permanent residency had a “huge impact” on himself and his family.

He said three generations of his family lived in Australia for the past seven years. Apart from him, all were Australian citizens.

He said his own children had studied, worked and married in Australia where they had been “fully integrated”, regarding Australia as their home.

He said it was “too early to tell” whether his case would become a “watershed incident” in Aus­tralia’s relations with its Chinese migrants. He said there were “relevant legal procedures” that were “still in progress” and could take some time.

Mr Huang said “relevant documents” from the Australian Sec­urity Intelligence Organisation “clearly stated that I did not violate any laws in Australia”.

He said he had already handed over the reins of his business operations in Australia to his son, Jimmy Huang, who had taken over as chairman last year.

He said he was no longer a shareholder or executive of the Yuhu group, which has investments in real estate, agriculture and fisheries in Australia.

Mr Huang said was not given a “clear statement” on why his ­application for citizenship in Australia had been denied. “The wording in the documents sent to me has been vague,” he said.

“Neither I nor my lawyer understood what they mean and we don’t have a chance to cross-examine them.”

He said there were only two possible reasons stated: the fact that he was chairman of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China and chairman of the ­Oceanic Alliance of Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China, and that he had business interests in China.

He said these two reasons were “very ridiculous.”

Mr Huang said Australia had established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, a move that included an adherence to the one-China policy.

He said he had been “smeared” by some media in Australia who had claimed they had access to inside information from ASIO.