Beijing believes Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s decision to scupper China State Construction Engineering Corp’s bid for Probuild is further evidence of overt discrimination against Chinese firms.
Coming after other moves, such as blocking Mengniu Dairy from acquiring Lion Dairy and Drinks, some Australian commentators agree. They argue that maybe blocking Huawei from our 5G was understandable. But the Morrison government was now taking too broad a view of what is strategically important and necessary to protect the national interest.
Their common error is to assume that applying a non-discriminatory screening regime means foreign firms of all nationalities ought to be treated the same. That is not true in regulatory or ethical terms.
Read the full article in the Australian Financial Review