Billionaire's racist talk can't derail ties

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Fairfax Radio on Tuesday that Palmer's comments are offensive, unnecessary and unacceptable for an MP. Meanwhile, Australian citizens have sent e-mails to the Chinese Embassy in Canberra, denouncing Palmer's insulting remarks regarding China.

In one of the letters, one Australian said, "As an Australian citizen, I would just like to let you know that I am outraged at the remarks by Clive Palmer regarding the Chinese people. Please be assured that the majority of Australians do not hold these opinions."

These responses from the Australian political and social circles show the foundation of China-Australian interaction is strong enough to fence off the badmouthing by irresponsible people such as Palmer.

Compared to the entirety of China-Australia cooperation and the ever deepening bond between our two countries, a bad apple like Palmer will not be able to sabotage Sino-Australia relations today.

Over the years, more and more Australians have begun to realize that their country's economic development depends heavily on its trade with China.

For five consecutive years, China has remained Australia's biggest trading partner, biggest market of exports and biggest source of imports. Australian statistics indicate Australia-China trade topped 140 billion Australian dollars ($130 billion) in 2013, with Australia enjoying a trade surplus of more than 47 billion Australian dollars.

Research in Australia also shows trade with China has brought in large swathes of income and jobs to Australians citizens. Yancoal Australia Ltd, which has only 16 Chinese managers and engineers, employs more than 3,000 locals. The localization rate of China's telecom giant Huawei in Australia now stands at 90 percent.

There is every reason for both countries to continue to contribute to this desirable momentum. Australia should guard against racist outbursts like Palmer's in the future as the smooth growth of bilateral ties, which serves the interests of both sides, does need a friendly atmosphere.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/21/2014 page8)