re: chinese stalking
No conspiracy theory, but this is in the new tonight guys
"China bankrolling Rudd' stimulus plan Mar 27, 2009 8:02pm
CHINA is the biggest investor in government bonds, secretly helping to fund Kevin Rudd's economic rescue.
CHINA is secretly helping to bankroll Kevin Rudd's economic rescue plan as concerns grow over the relationship between the Communist superpower and the Labor Government.
The Courier-Mail can confirm that China is a significant investor in Australian government bonds -- used by Canberra to fund billions of dollars in emergency spending.
Market insiders believe China is buying 15 to 20 per cent of the $2 billion in Treasury securities being issued every week.
This would make China the single biggest lender to Australia, although details of who owns the bonds are cloaked in secrecy.
The program, authorised by Treasurer Wayne Swan, will leave Australia with a debt bill approaching $200 billion.
In response, the Opposition has raised concerns Australia could end up politically "handcuffed" to China as a result. China's appetite for Australian bonds comes just days after the Prime Minister secretly met China's fifth most powerful figure, Li Changchun, at the Lodge.
Mr Rudd is also arguing for a stronger role for China in global affairs during his visit to the US and Britain.
China's Ambassador to Australia, Zhang Junsai, declined to comment. But China has made no secret of interest in buying Australian investments.
China has its sights on a number of prized infrastructure and resource assets. The most sensitive is Chinalco's $27 billion bid to lift its stake in miner, Rio Tinto, to 18 per cent.
China has amassed a huge $1 trillion-plus portfolio of US bonds, recently flexing its political muscle as the US economy fell into recession.
"We welcome foreign investment but not foreign investment that is handcuffed to political interests," Mr Hockey said.
Senior government figures privately admit the growing level of Chinese investment raises significant issues, including national security.
Mr Swan, who will rule on the Chinalco-Rio Tinto deal, played down talk of a Chinese takeover.
Read more at The Courier Mail."
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