"His response was that it was just a joke. He doesnt deny the threat but tries to pass it off as a joke."
that's my reading of it. he was caught out. the way rudd talks behind closed doors seems to reveal the real person "those chinese ..... are trying to ......... us."
It wouldn't surprise me to hear that he is saying the same thing about the miners.
"those ..........miners are trying to ......... us."
