Following the "sobering", doom and gloom, economic assessment delivered by the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg yesterday that Australia is heading for a deep recession in the years to come. What we don't need, and can't afford, is a trade war with China. Australia's call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus was viewed unfavourably by China, seeing it as Australia acting as a lackey of the United States. China's ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng warned that Chinese consumers might not buy Australian products.

In the latest development, China firstly threatening to slap major tariffs on Australia's barley exports, which could rip hundreds of millions of dollars from the grain trade, as China sources barley from countries such as Canada. According to the Chinese, Australia has engaged in "dumping" of barley in their market. Next has been the imposition of a trade ban on several Australian abattoirs exporting $3.5 billion of beef into China. China sites technical issues concerning labelling and health certificate requirements as the reason.

A trade war with China is something Australia can ill afford at this time. Was it just a noble act in calling for an investigation into coronavirus, or indeed as the Chinese claim, were we acting at the behest of the failing Trump administration in Washington. Whatever the reason the trade outcome for Australia can only be dire, if it continues as is.

Yes, it could be dire, but Australia and the wold must not backdown against an increasingly assetive China.

The rise of authoritarian China, imo, is a setback for humanityit it was allowed to dominate.

There are a few messages out of this.

First, the Chinese regime is a despicable despotism. Accommodating them is just as silly as accommodating Hitler was in the 1930s. There are not two sides - theirs and Americas - there are two sides - theirs and the rest.

Second anyone who relies on trade with China for their business or their national wealth has rocks in their head and should diversify immediately. The Chinese have done us a favour in reminding us what a brutal repressive regime they are.

If you have shares in companies like Fortescue Metals you should be looking at them very closely, and when their AGM comes around ask them what they are doing to diversify away from China.

On the bright side, this should hopefully alert a large number of countries to the dangers of doing business with the Chinese and encourage them to diversify. It should be a boon to India, Indonesia, Vietnam and a raft of smaller countries who can also do manufacturing at a good price.

Third, it must change our attitude to global negotiations on CO2 emissions. The Chinese have ramped-up their construction of coal-fired power stations. This makes us more reliant on them for manufactured goods, because despite our local wiseacres, coal-fired power is the cheapest, apart from possibly hydro. There is no point us cutting emissions if they aren't.

GY.

Why do I firmly believe our fate is sealed and our future is so cemented to China, we better get used to more of it?
Every aspect of this country is aimed squarely at it.

Dan.

Some fools think we should be a "lackey" to China instead of to America. The thing is, we are not a lackey to Americaz which is our main ally and equal. China, however, is trying to make Australia their lackey. To the Chinese, everyone is inferior to China. They have thought that for over 2,000 years, and they will always think that. They are the bullies of Asia, and if they can, they will bully the whole world.

Our weak politicians, LNP and Labor, have to man up and drop China like a hot chip before they get their claws any further into us. We need to get back to being self-reliant and realising who our friends are, and that China is definitely our enemy.

The Chinese Communist Party is a war party.

"The CCP wars on its own population through political campaigns such as the one- child, now two-child, policy and the persecution of the Falungong. And China is at war with the world (whether the world knows it or not) through its territorial claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere, through its use of destabilizing proxies such as North Korea, and even more directly through its theft of technology, its currency manipulations, and it's highly sophisticated and incessant cyberattacks". ('Bully of Asia, Why China's Dream Is The New Threat To World Order', by Steven W. Mosher).

"rocks in their head", "diversify" sounds like another word for boycott. No problem, there are cheap labour coolies in "India, Indonesia, Vietnam and a raft of smaller countries who can also do manufacturing at a good price." get a nice shirt from K-mart, made in Bangladesh, but don't know what a Bangladeshis made car is like. Good to see we should only deal with the true democracies of the world like the aforementioned. China with its 1.5 billion could model its news "democracy" on a similar country, such as India. I'm sure the average Chinese would love to lift that oppressive yoke of authoritarianism in exchange for the freedom and democracy that the average Indian enjoys, and at the same time they could partake of the same standard of living, they would be overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect.

"Fortescue Metals you should be looking at them very closely, and when their AGM comes around ask them what they are doing to diversify away from China" Yes indeed, the shareholders would have little interest with the companies record profits, and would be much more interested in the humanitarian aspects of the business. They might want Twiggy to emulate the good deeds of the Salvation Army, and bugger the bottom line. Don't think it will wash too well with the shareholders, too much self interest.

No worries, all is good, we have Simon Birmingham suiting up, to get out there and give those Chinese a real shellacking. I can hardly wait to see the Chinese trembling in their boots as Simon rocks up!