[GandalfTheGrey]

Disrespect to China endangering trade: Stokes
Updated 35 minutes ago

Billionaire Kerry Stokes has warned that Australia's trade with China is at risk because of Australia's poor attitude towards the country.

The Seven Network chairman has criticised Australian politicians for calling for political change during visits to China, describing them as disrespectful.

He says Australia's attitude towards the sale of Cubbie Station to Chinese interests has been deemed as racist by influential Chinese bloggers.

Mr Stokes, who was speaking at a conference on Australia-China relations in Sydney, says Australia needs to build a strong relationship with China to secure future trade.

"In the future there'll be other nations around the world who will challenge us by providing what we offer at far more competitive prices," he said.

"We want to be in a position then that prices are not the only reason that we trade with China, because in the future, [if] price is the only reason we trade with China, we will lose.

"Make no mistake, we will lose."

Mr Stokes says forging closer ties outside of mining is key to Australia's future prosperity.

"Resources are finite, so build services like education, business and tourism; the most renewable resource we have and we can share with them.

"University exchange is the best way of us being close.

"China still wants Australia to invest in China and they desire a partnership and they desire it to be built on respect and mutually beneficial outcomes."

Speaking at the same conference, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says the significant problems in Australia's attitudes toward China are made clear in the debate over Cubbie Station.

"The idea that foreign ownership of Australian mines or farms will somehow limit our control over production or undermine our food security is simply not correct as an argument against Chinese investment," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/s ... sk/4261312

Always an interesting debate: will China invest in Australia regardless of what we say? Or do we need to bend over to China to maintain our prosperity?

[benpenguin]

What could said politicians accomplish by calling for polital change in China, except getting labelled "pesky western human rights dude"?

Would be just better off to make money and stay the fuck out of politics when dealing with china.

[GandalfTheGrey]

Well I think thats in effect what happens. The standard lecture we give China about democracy and human rights is more or less expected, and if they don't deliver them, our PM and foreign affairs minister can expect some rather embarassing questions from our media.

No one gives a fuck about it though - not the government, not the Australian public, and least of all the Chinese themselves. So its basically just a benign little tradition we keep up to avoid the politicians feeling embarassed when the media asks them "did you raise the issue of democracy and human rights?"

[unbalanced zealot]

I think you're right Gandalf.

Most Australians as they are today privately think to themselves that 'none of those people in China are actually us'. So they are quite content with the superficial interaction on the matter. Australians have been bought off with inexpensive consumer products and in fact if the Chinese people got themselves more rights they'd form unions and force up wages, making that plasma TV $100 more expensive. Australian suburbia would be hurt by this, what with their massive housing mortgages and all. They'd winge about it and blame Julia Gillard.

[Igor Antunov]

Or do we need to bend over to China to maintain our prosperity?

How is meddling in internal chinese politics 'bending over to china'? It's pointless meddling that's hurting our trade prospects. If China was forcing us to change our internal politics to accomodate their trade, then that would be us bending over. But China doesn't do that, the US does that.

[Franker65]

I wouldn't say that China's trade is at risk due to bad sentiment. The Chinese are experiencing difficulty with the downturn, especially in Europe. As a result, less goods are being exported and stockpiles are developing. Statistics still show Australia accounts for 20.6% of China's trade. They are far too important to allow some bad feelings influencing their trade agreements. However, I agree with the above points that the US is more active in political meddling to accommodate trade.