Foreign Minister Bob Carr says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has made some "dangerously dumb" comments about Chinese investment.

Mr Abbott said on Tuesday that foreign governments should rarely own or control Australian companies.

He said it would "rarely be in Australia's interest", despite many Chinese companies having some form of state control.

Senator Carr told Lateline on Wednesday night the comments are dangerously adversarial and could offend other Asian countries.

"It disturbs me that he is making in three or four of the things he said about China what can only be seen and what will be seen by them I think as an adversarial approach with China and I think that is reckless," he said.

"I think it is really dangerously dumb for this country's interest."

He says Mr Abbott is trying to change the rules and moving towards a "blanket prohibition" of Chinese investment by state-owned companies.

"Now that is crazy," Senator Carr said.

"You've got farm communities of Australia that are guaranteed prosperity because Chinese urbanisation has seen people buy their food stuff from supermarkets stocked with Australian produce.

    For Tony Abbott to start talking that language sends a shocking message of retreat about Australia - that we're now seeking security from Asia, that we're going back to a view so dated of Australia's role.
    Foreign Minister Bob Carr

"You've got 5,000 mining jobs in Australia directly dependent on Chinese investment."

Mr Carr says Mr Abbott's comments are outdated.

"For Tony Abbott to start talking that language sends a shocking message of retreat about Australia - that we're now seeking security from Asia, that we're going back to a view so dated of Australia's role, it's more conservative than John Howard's," he said.

Federal frontbencher Bill Shorten has also questioned Mr Abbott's stance.

He says Australia has a long history of foreign investment and decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis.

"In the past we've had British nobility, Lord Vestey owned most of the northern pastoral stations in Australia," he said.

"I can't believe Mr Abbott's saying it's OK for British royalty to invest in Australia but somehow government-owned enterprises elsewhere it's not OK.

"We've got to look at the bid, not on the identity of the person who's making the proposition, but is the proposition in the Australian interest."

The Opposition, however, says Mr Abbott was merely making the point that any investment by Chinese government-owned companies should be carefully scrutinised.

Topics: federal-government, australia, china

First posted July 26, 2012 00:24:15 

Didn't anyone notice that Tony looked a bit like Hitler?

Bobby. wrote on Jul 26^th, 2012 at 9:56am:



What do you mean a bit? He looks like a reincarnation.

Bobby. wrote on Jul 26^th, 2012 at 10:09am:


Stop ruining my Avatar for me BAT!

[quote link=1343204348/3#3 date=1343205554]Why is Tony Abbott retarded?

Why did Bronwyn Bishop flop her tits in the Senate?

Why did Abbott say "A carbon tax is the best way to combat carbon pollution...."

Why are Bill Heffernan, Joe Hockey, Andrew Robb, Sophie Mirrabella, Eric Abetz and Julie Bishop so stupid?

Why did Abbott knife Turnbull in the back?