Australia Forum

mike · #1 (**permalink**) 06-20-2008, 04:00 AM

Rudd has accepted the Chinese invitation to attend the Beijing Olympics.

One thing I didn't realise is Australia is now ranked 7 in the world in terms of GDP, mostly due to China's economic boom.

Quote:

China recently overtook Japan as Australia's biggest trading partner and the country is Canberra's biggest customer for energy and mineral exports, with two-way trade worth A$52 billion ($49 billion) in 2007.
The China-driven boom has rocketed Australians from 15th place in the world in terms of GDP per capita in 1992 to seventh.

Wanderer · #2 (**permalink**) 06-20-2008, 11:49 PM

Suppose he has put himself as a Mandarin Mate in a position of it being hard to refuse being invited and thus that being savvy supposedly for economic benefits.

But as they say sport and politics should not be mixed, there's always a danger in going into business with "friends" and no doubt the Chinese would not see a friendship getting in the way of their interests.

Has it been a case of not so much getting sucked in but But Rudd sucking up himself?