Predictability in an Unpredictable World
Predictability in an Unpredictable World
The reaction of China to MBIE’s hitherto secret steel investigation and the China South Seas Hague award has one astonishing feature. Why is New Zealand surprised?
“’Melamine Chinese steel’ in our motorways, asbestos trains bouncing off our rail tracks and now a billion dollar threat to New Zealand’s dairy and horticulture industry, were all predictable events except to New Zealand’s political and economic leadership,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“How ordinary New Zealanders are meant to react to the appalling failures of both must surely be at issue now. How well they must remember the cacophonous cheerleading of the New Zealand China Free Trade ‘industry’ and its derisory response to anyone who dared question the wisdom of what they were doing.
“It is not a case of the blind leading the blind but of the ideologically bewildered foisting their arrogance, ignorance and naivety upon New Zealand exporters and its people. The present crisis will be characterised for a vanity scramble to demonstrate that they can both be trusted and know what they are doing. They can’t and they don’t.
“The outstanding question in this China steel saga is simple. Why and how does the Chinese Government know more about MBIE’s steel investigation than New Zealanders do? Either Minister Joyce deliberately told his officials to disclose the information to the Chinese or MBIE is a victim of secret listening equipment. If it is the former alternative then Minister Joyce has exposed our food exports to extreme danger. China does not trade from the stand point of sentiment but rather hardnosed commercialism. On this Mr Joyce and his ilk have either been extremely naïve or inept.
“Chinese commerce is dominated by its Government which is flouting rules with their ‘melamine steel to NZ’, and the South China Seas sovereignty grab. It’s long since time for Mr Key’s Government to demand China abide by international trade rules.
“The last question is how come Minister Joyce, affectionately known as ‘Big Ears’, didn’t hear this one coming?”
ENDS