1 October 2009
Interview - Fran Kelly on Radio National Breakfast
Subject: 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Sumatra Earthquake, Samoa Tsunami.
FRAN KELLY: As we were discussing earlier, today marks an important milestone in the rise of the next great global super power, China. It's the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic, and a lot has changed since 1949. China is now a more open society and certainly a more open economy and it's that hunger for our resources which has helped Australia withstand the global financial shock and made many Australians very, very rich. Trade Minister, Simon Crean has a close working knowledge of China. His father, Frank Crean was a former treasurer who accompanied Gough Whitlam on a groundbreaking mission to Beijing in 1973, a trip that opened up Australia's diplomatic and trade ties with China. Simon Crean, welcome to Breakfast.
SIMON CREAN: Hi Fran, how are you?
FRAN KELLY: I'm well thanks. Minister, before we talk China, can we got to the Sumatra earthquake. It's very early still. Unclear still the extent of the damage. Did you have any information on the number of Australians or if any Australians may have been caught up in this disaster?
SIMON CREAN: I don't Fran, but it is another terrible tragedy that's affected that country and we do send our condolences to the victims. The full extent of the damage isn't known. We haven't had any requests for consular assistance from any Australians to date. We're not aware of any Australians that are caught up, but where it has hit is a well known surfing destination, so it is possible, of course, in those circumstances, that Australians could be in the region, but at this stage, no information on that, no requests for assistance. We of course stand ready as before to assist the Indonesians in any way we can in dealing with yet another disaster.
FRAN KELLY: And we are already, I know, helping the Samoans in the aftermath of the tsunami yesterday. Three Australians confirmed dead. Any news on the six Australians in Samoa still unaccounted for?
SIMON CREAN: Again, no, Fran. We haven't got any information about them. We do have grave concerns for one additional person, but that's the only information I've got on that. We have dispatched an aircraft with a medical team. There will be a second aircraft going with supplies to assist in the - not just the medical attention, but the emergency housing and water supplies et cetera. A third plane will go if necessary. Again, this is, you know, a shocking incident in the region, but Australia stands ready to help its partners in need.
FRAN KELLY: Simon Crean, to China now, and on their 60th Anniversary Australia was one of the first western nations to officially recognise communist China. What did your father tell you about that historic visit he made to Beijing with Gough Whitlam?
SIMON CREAN: We spoke often about it and particularly over the last decade, Fran, because it was a huge opening-up. It was groundbreaking - it was important for China that Australia - the first country to really recognise them and particularly within the region. They haven't forgotten that, and I think it has been an underpinning of the strength of the relationship that really has developed in the 35 or so years since. It has been a relationship that's gone from strength to strength. All governments have nurtured it. We happen to be involved with it in a new phase because now we're seeing a lot more interest, not just in the movement of goods between countries, and resources, but services and investment flows. So the interdependency of the two economies has just gone from strength to strength Fran.
FRAN KELLY: There are still challenges, though. This week Queensland mining magnate, Clive Palmer accused your government of the racism by what he says making it much tougher for the Chinese to invest in Australia than for Americans to do so. Are there different rules for the different countries?
SIMON CREAN: Well first of all his claim about racism is absolute nonsense, not based on any facts and I don't know anyone who supports him in that regard. I know that we have to deal with perceptions in this game, but it's never helped when you fuel a perception by ignorance. Now as for the difference between the US and China, it is true that there is a difference in the threshold through which an American investment can take place. But that's unique to the US because of a free trade agreement between the two countries. And for the US to get that higher threshold they had to pay for it in ways that have benefited Australia in getting into their markets. Now clearly, investment is on the agenda with China. I've put it there. I want to see investment as a two way street between the two economies. Many Australians want to invest more in China, and we need to address restrictions on the extent to which that investment can occur. So investment is crucial, it's a two way street. We run a non-discriminatory policy, large investments from whichever source have to meet a national interest test, and there has been huge approval of Chinese investment into Australia. I just wish people such as Mr Palmer would get his facts right.
FRAN KELLY: And just finally Minister, Rio Tinto executive, Stern Hu who's been in jail in Shanghai now for nearly three months - we just - he's just had a consular official visit. What is the news?
SIMON CREAN: Well the news is that he's still in good spirits. He's still healthy. He's being treated well. We, of course, continue to agitate for the expedition of his case. He has had access to lawyers and we continue to urge the Chinese to not just bring the case to a conclusion quickly, but to be more transparent in their dealings with these sorts of issues. We will continue to run that as an issue, but in my view it is a separate issue from impacting on the nature of the relationship. We are treating it as a consular case, as we do any Australians in trouble as a result of legal systems in other countries.
FRAN KELLY: Okay, Simon Crean, thank you very much for joining us on Breakfast.
SIMON CREAN: Thanks Fran.
ENDS
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