Chinese protest Palmer 'insults'

WA’s Chinese community are demanding Clive Palmer and his Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie resign if they do not apologise for their insulting comments about China.

Close to 100 people gathered outside WA senator Dio Wang’s electoral office in East Perth this morning protesting the “prejudicial and offensive” comments made by Mr Palmer on ABC’s Q&A program last Monday and Jacqui Lambie the following day.

Palmer blasts Chinese government 'mongrels'

Funding president for the WA Fujian Association Ben Pan said Palmer’s comments had significantly damaged the relationship between Australian and Chinese business interests, as well as between the general communities.

“We are a multicultural country, people from all different nations should unite together to work together for Australia’s future,” he said.

“He is a representative of Australia and he is a bad representative,” he said.

Co-founder of the Shandong Association WA Eddie Hwang said Chinese people had worked hard to build bridges between China and Australia and Mr Palmer’s comments were helping destroy those links.

Mr Hwang, 78, who moved to Australia 60 years ago, said Mr Palmer’s outburst was unjustified.

“He called Chinese people bastards and mongrels, of course he’s arguing with someone else but to us it’s an insult,” he said.

“We have to condemn his activities. He is using his political position to further his own business interests, that’s all, nothing else,” he said.

Chinese community members protest over comments by Palmer. Picture : Lincoln Baker/The West Australian