The Chinese Communist Party may have bought the undying loyalty of some politicians and mining magnates, but their trade and diplomatic assault on Australia is rapidly hardening resolve on the home front. And at least some in the business community are trying to do their bit.
While Twiggy Forrest sneaks Chinese officials into government functions to foghorn CCP propaganda, other businesses are searching for ways to decouple themselves from China.
Kennards’ Self Storage CEO Sam Kennard has put out a call to arms for Australian businesses to fight back and drop suppliers from China.
The appeal for a united business front comes in the middle of growing diplomatic tensions between Australia and China, and increased tariffs on Aussie exported goods.
This is a crisis that’s been long brewing, aided by the blind greed of many businesses and politicians. As some have found, sell to China in haste, repent at leisure.
“The Chinese Communist Government has proven to be difficult to trust,” Mr Kennard told NCA NewsWire.
“ They’ve placed tariffs on lobster, wine and barley out of revenge or spite and the risk is, you just don’t know who is next. Every Australian business should now be reviewing supply contracts. Change and prefer non Chinese made products where possible. We have made this decision”[…]
Mr Kennard said they were only a “modest consumer” of Chinese made goods but they were still searching for new suppliers in the wake of China’s tariff war on Aussie made products.
He said the boxes they supply for tenants of storage units are manufactured in Australia, but items such as plastic wrappings and padlocks are sourced from China and that was very likely to change.
“We only discussed this yesterday and we are looking to see if we can get those padlocks, say from Taiwan, Korea or Germany,” Mr Kennard said.
At the consumer level, the backlash against China is becoming volcanic. Online groups promoting Australian-made and non-Chinese alternatives are proliferating. Consumers are reading labels carefully.
Mr Kennard said he understood not all Australian businesses were in the same fortunate position as his company and not heavily reliant on Chinese suppliers.
“Some feel quite helpless,” he said.
But those businesses, or even consumers, who were able to choose an alternative supplier or product than a Chinese import, would be making a united stance against China.
He added that he had received no “blowback” from this tweet but plenty of support and that finding alternative suppliers was a solid start for all businesses planning for a long future[…]
Mr Kennard’s stance follows a call by One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson to boycott Chinese products.
The Australian
As always, Hanson is proving far more adept at reading the public mood than most of the supposedly more politically-savvy chatterers in the press gallery or the parliamentary chambers.
And Sam Kennard is courageously taking a public stand that more of Australia’s “business leaders” need to have the guts to do.
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