Clive Palmer has apologised to China over his remarks on the ABC program Q&A last week.
Palmer wrote to Mr. Ma Zhaoxu, China’s Ambassador to Australia, to say he regretted “any hurt or anguish” his comments “may have caused any party”.
In his appearance on Q&A, Palmer called the Chinese “mongrels” and “bastards”. He said the “communists” were trying to take over Australia’s ports and steal Australia’s resources. [Read more…]
This is the text of Treasurer Wayne Swan’s address to the Australia in China’s Century conference in Sydney today.
The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott has delivered a keynote foreign policy address on the China relationship.
Speaking in China, Abbott said: “It will take time and much further evolution for our friendship with China to approach the warmth that we take for granted with America. But it is worth the effort and it must be made.”
Of Australia’s developing relationship with China, compared to more established relations with Japan and the United States, Abbott said: “Prime Minister John Howard understood that you could make a new friend without losing an old one.”
Abbott advocated political and legal reforms in China: “In the long term, China should prosper even more if its people enjoyed freedom under the law and the right to choose a government, despite the difficulty of managing this transition in a country with a tumultuous history.” [Read more…]
This is the text of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s speech to the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC.
Abbott attracted criticism from Prime Minister Julia Gillard over his criticism of cuts in defence spending. [Read more…]
