I see that the North Koreans have released the imprisoned American journos after a visit by Bill Clinton to make their case. I think it was Chaz who pointed out on JB's blog that our man Hu in Beijing probably won't get as much sympathy or support here in Australia because he doesn't look like us. It didn't seem to matter much to the yanks that the two journalists were of Asian extraction though, and although it may be ALP "Real Politik', it shouldn't matter to us either.
However which former statesman would we send to Beijing to get Hu released anyway? I can't see John Howard doing the job, now that he is a former PM he doesn't have to pretend anymore about all of that multicultural Australia stuff, Paul Keating would just offend them all over again and Bob Hawke - well I don't think we should bring him up do you? Fraser would just lose his pants again and that only leaves Gough...
Well my money would be on Gough, after all wasn't he the one who did a Richard Nixon and opened up relations with the PRC anyway?
Of course there is always the possibility that the reason that Rudd has been so inactive on this issue is that Hu really is an Australian spy? But I think that would be giving way too much credit to ASIS and too little to Rio Tinto...
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Harold Holt. He's over there ain't he? Chinese sub and all that?
ReplyDeleteDr Yobbo - you are on the mark there but I don't know if the PRC would listen to one of their own spies when he gives a deposition that another Aussie isn't a spy? It would be like the Indonesians listening to Schapelle Corby is she said an Aussie wasn't a drug dealer...
ReplyDeleteDoubt if it's got much to do with how Hu looks. I think it's more to do with our gubbermint doing turkey impersonations around the nether regions of the Chinese. Don't wanna risk upsetting them with all this iron and uranium out in the desert.
ReplyDeleteWho do we send?...well, fairly sure we could rule out Pauline Hanson. Ummmm....maybe Rudd, if Hu can hold on that long. Least he speaks the lingo and they know he swallows.
Nah i'd go with Keating he has the necessary aplomb to deal with CCP.
ReplyDeleteThis is getting more and more like La la land with the PRC claiming that RIO have ripped them off by $123 Billion which is more than the business that Rio has done with them over the stated 6 year period.
I am now even more convinced that basically some beaurocrats are feeling the heat because of their own ineptitude and RIO is the scapegoat. Their now paying 20% over the odds now because the spot price has risen well above the contract price they could have had four or five months ago.
Someone has lost face so a 'traitor' has to pay. This is going to make doing business in China even harder than it is already with additional restrictions coming into play.
Well looks like WA will benefit so that OK then!!!
Alex Downer: when he pisses them off, they can put him in the cell right next to Stern Hu.
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