At Domain comes a generous Twiggy:
Big business has swooped in on high-stakes political negotiations with China, parachuting in one of China’s top diplomats to speak at a Commonwealth office event as relationships between Canberra and Beijing deteriorate.
Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest surprised Health Minister Greg Hunt by inviting Victorian China Consul General Zhou Long to speak alongside him on Wednesday after the mining billionaire secured 10 million coronavirus tests from China, a 20-fold increase in Australia’s testing capacity.
Beijing has spent the past week accusing Australia of being a bully pushing US interests in the region, while warning Chinese consumers could walk out on Australian brands if it continues to pursue a global independent inquiry into the coronavirus.
Twiggy might want to double-check that they work:
- Spain, Netherlands had problems;
- Czech Republic had problems;
- Turkey had problems;
- Britain had problems;
- India had problems;
- US had problems;
- Australia had problems.
Malaysia bought South Korean instead.
Probably a better idea and they buy iron ore too!
News has the fallout:
WA Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said it looked like what it was, an ambush, and he urged the billionaire to butt out of foreign policy.
“Now is not the time for games. Australia must come first,” Mr Hastie told The Australian.
“This guy drops out of the sky in his private jet and enables the Chinese Communist Party to ambush a commonwealth press conference. Yeah, we’re not happy.”
Former resources minister Matt Canavan said he was also concerned by the ambush.
“No proud nation should put themselves in a position where another country can dictate its foreign policy,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said political leaders should not expect business leaders to offer much support when it comes to tricky moments with China.
This is not just lack of support, it is open betrayal.
