Beijing lashes ‘absurd’ Clive Palmer

THE Chinese government has officially condemned Clive Palmer’s racist outburst.

Clive Palmer presser

THE Chinese government has officially condemned Clive Palmer’s racist outburst, in which he claimed Chinese people were “mongrels” and “bastards’’ who “shot their own people”.

As the fallout in China showed no signs of ending, high-ranking Foreign Ministry official Qin Gang said the Chinese administration appreciated the immediate criticism by Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop of Mr Palmer’s remarks on the ABC’s Q&A on Monday night.

The comments marked the first time the Chinese government had officially recognised the Palmer United Party leader’s comments, which experts fear will damage the business and diplomatic relationship between Australia and China.

“The relevant remarks made by Clive Palmer, a member of the House of Representatives of the Australian federal parliament, are completely unreasonable and absurd, to which we express our strong condemnation,” Mr Qin said.

“We noted that the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Foreign Minister Bishop and other senior officials as well as people from all walks of life have publicly refused Palmer’s words. This shows that Palmer is alone in what he said and did.”

Business leaders in Australia yesterday warned of fallout from the comments.

Australian Securities Exchange chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper said Mr Palmer’s comments had the potential to damage Australia’s prospects of finalising a free-trade agreement with China and to become a trading hub for the renminbi.

“I would like to think that serious people see through this and that the relationships that we have are about the next 20 years and not what we see in Canberra today,” Mr Funke Kupper said.

“I wish he had not said (it), but you can’t unsay it, can you?

“The truth is that a very significant part of our current prosperity is owed to the rise of Asia and the rise of China in particularly as an economic power.”

Mr Palmer yesterday angrily rejected Chinese state media calls that he and Australian companies that deal with him should face sanctions from the Chinese government.

The Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid, criticised Mr Palmer’s racist outburst and called for him to be officially “punished” for offending Chinese people.

Mr Palmer has rapidly backtracked from his remarks since Monday and claimed he was directing his comments at Citic Pacific, the Chinese mining company that operates the Sino Iron Ore project with his Mineralogy company.

In a statement, published with the official federal parliamentary crest, Mr Palmer again tried to apologise for his comments, which he said were not meant to offend Chinese people.

“The incredible claims made in the controversial Global Times to impose sanctions on myself and Australian companies that have dealings with me puts in perspective the level of China’s strict Communist rule,” he said.

“It is an extraordinary reaction to my television comments which were in no way directed at the Chinese people or the Chinese government.”

He reiterated his ongoing allegation that Citic Pacific, one of China’s largest and most respected state-owned enterprises, stole Australian resources.

The two parties have been locked in a lengthy legal battle. Mr Palmer lost the most recent round when the Federal Court in two states ruled against his bid to take control of the port of Cape Preston, through which iron ore deposits are exported to China.

“My anger was only directed at the state-owned Citic Pacific for their business dealings in Australia,” he said.

“This is a company intent on taking Australian resources and not paying for them.”

Australian China Business Council chairman Ian McCubbin said yesterday the group “deplored” Mr Palmer’s comments and it was vital that the strong business relationship between the two nations not be damaged by his continued criticism of China.

“Australia cannot afford to be complacent,” he said about attracting Chinese investment.

“Australia needs to build on its comparative advantages and Chinese investment and markets are an important factor in our country’s ability to do this.”

Warwick Smith, the chairman of the federal government’s Australia-China Council, said the majority of Australian business institutions supported the strong relationship that the two countries had built over the past four decades.

“The Australia-China relationship is a success story and a result of efforts of generations of Australian and Chinese people, communities and institutions,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Palmer’s repeated attempts to backtrack from his original outburst have failed to stem the anger felt towards him in China.

A damning report on CCTV3, the national broadcaster’s most influential station in China, said Mr Palmer was out of line and had offended Chinese people, despite claiming they were not the target of his diatribe.

“The mining tycoon publicly and seriously humiliated China,” it said.

“He used dirty insulting remarks to attack the Chinese government and companies and he slandered China by saying it stole resources from Australia.”

People’s Daily columnist Yang Ziyan said Chinese people and the business community were offended by Mr Palmer’s attack which had been deemed racist.

“This tycoon has loudly abused China but was once keen on sucking up to Chinese investors in order to their investment,” he said.

“As a politician Palmer is not looking for a lawful way to solve his problems, instead he has made emotional and retaliatory comments in public that have stung Chinese people and have other purposes.”

Additional reporting: Wang Yuanyuan