A Chinese company gave Rudd money for nothing. We are trying to get ourselves introduced to this company. We believe that we can do ten times what Rudd has done, for half what they paid him, in half the time.
the spokesman said
"AustChina supported members of parliament to travel overseas in the last parliament to encourage their interest in China and to promote opportunities for Australian exporters to access Chinese markets,''
Chinese company says no strings on PM's travel
ReplyDeleteBy Maria Hawthorne
THE Chinese company which paid for Kevin Rudd to travel overseas before the last election says there were no strings on the sponsorship.
Beijing AustChina Technology, a Chinese importer of Australian telecommunications products, said it sponsored travel by the future prime minister and other cabinet colleagues to encourage their interest in China.
No company representatives travelled with the politicians and no conditions were placed on the sponsorship, a company spokesman said.
"AustChina supported members of parliament to travel overseas in the last parliament to encourage their interest in China and to promote opportunities for Australian exporters to access Chinese markets,'' the spokesman said.
The opposition has questioned the relationship between the company, founded by Chinese entrepreneur Ian Tang, and Mr Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Agriculture Minister Tony Burke.
The three ministers, along with two backbenchers, made 16 overseas trips at AustChina's expense between 2005 and 2007, when Labor was in opposition.
Most trips were to China, but Mr Rudd also visited the United States, Britain and Sudan as a guest of the company.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb called on Mr Rudd to explain the nature of the company's business, saying the coalition did not know much about AustChina.
But Mr Rudd produced a series of letters from former government ministers and government agencies to AustChina, dating back seven years, showing contact with the company.
In March 2001, then deputy prime minister John Anderson wrote to Mr Tang accepting an invitation to attend a signing ceremony for the agreement to supply fibre optic cable from Australian company Belden Australia to the Guangzhou Broadband Backbone Network Company.
A July 2002 letter from then Communications Minister Richard Alston said it had been "a pleasure to assist Beijing AustChina Technology Ltd in its efforts to export high technology products and services from Australia to China''.
AustChina has also donated $155,000 to the Nationals.
Mr Rudd said the correspondence made a mockery of the coalition's claims not to know anything about the company.
"I think we have a case of someone's, namely the member for Goldstein's (Mr Robb), credibility collapsing in a heap,'' Mr Rudd told parliament.
"The government of which you were part knew a flaming lot about this company.
"I would suggest here that we have a modest case of double standards.''
He challenged Mr Robb to rule out accepting any travel sponsorship from private companies if he had a fundamental problem with the idea.
But opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott said there was more to the story than Mr Rudd was letting on.
"Why would this Chinese business provide hundreds of thousands of dollars, not just in party donations but in direct help to senior frontbenchers, now cabinet ministers and prime ministers, and expect nothing in return?'' Mr Abbott asked.
"Mr Tang must be a very altruistic Chinese businessman.''