Communist China 'a capricious customer': Tony Abbott

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says the Chinese government is a "capricious customer" and Australia's political leaders must treat our bilateral relationship with Beijing with "great care and caution".

The relationship between China and Australia has soured of late following calls by the government for the world to establish an independent investigation into the origins of the deadly COVID-19.

Despite the current global pandemic, China remains Australia’s largest trading partner and accounts for 26 per cent of its trade around the world

Mr Abbott said Australia and China do not think alike.

"We see China in commercial terms, they see us in political terms,” Mr Abbott told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

"In fact, being a communist, totalitarian state, they view everything in political terms".

Mr Abbott said China is "a country unlike any other that we deal with" and backed the government’s call for an independent investigation into its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

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