Why China's threat to the Australian economy was a GOOD thing: Former bureaucrat says menacing message highlights bullying tactics
- Former top bureaucrat Martin Parkinson has spoken out against China bullying
- Spoke out against ambassador Cheng Jingye's China consumer boycott threat
- Mr Parkinson described it as a 'wake'up call' to Australia on 'coercive behaviours'
Australia's most powerful bureaucrat when Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister has described a Chinese ambassador's threat to boycott Australian goods as a 'favour' and a 'wake-up call'.
Martin Parkinson, who last year retired as head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, said Chinese diplomat Cheng Jingye's ultimatum highlighted the bully tactics of Australia's biggest trading partner.
'I do think the Chinese ambassador has done us a favour,' he told the ABC's 7.30 program.
'He has now put front and centre before the Australian public the sorts of coercive behaviours that they are prepared to use if countries don't fall into line.
'That should come as a real wake-up call to the Australian community.'
The Chinese government has threatened to hurt Australia economically following calls from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Foreign Minister Marise Payne for an independent inquiry into the causes of COVID-19.
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Late last month, Mr Cheng told The Australian Financial Review, in a 40-minute interview, China could encourage its citizens to shun Australian exports from tourism to university education.
'The tourists may have second thoughts,' he said, in a transcript released by the Chinese embassy in Canberra.
'Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to.'
Martin Parkinson (pictured), who last year retired as head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, said Chinese diplomat Cheng Jingye's ultimatum highlighted the bully tactics of Australia's biggest trading partner
Mr Parkinson, who has served as a senior executive public servant under both Labor and Coalition governments, said Mr Morrison had made the right call in pushing for an inquiry into how coronavirus spread from Wuhan in China.
'It is absolutely right that we should have an inquiry into the lessons that we need to learn as nation states and as a global community so that we are better placed to deal with the pandemics as they emerge into the future,' he said.
Mr Parkinson, however, suggested Australia could have done with support from other nations beyond just the United States in pushing for the inquiry.
'The issue is really, did we do enough work to prepare for the statements that we made?,' he said.
'I can't judge that. I'm not aware of the extent to which we were trying to marshal support or the extent to which we were engaging with other countries in the region.'
So far, coronavirus has killed 97 people in Australia with 6,900 since late January, when an infected man from Wuhan flew to Melbourne via Guandong.
Late last month, China's ambassdor in Canberra Cheng Jingye (pictured) told The Australian Financial Review, in a 40-minute interview, China could encourage its citizens to shun Australian exports from tourism to university education
