There are few more reliable narratives in the business and financial press than, “If China sneezes, Australia will catch a cold”.
Such simple stories are likely part of the explanation why polling by the Australia-China Relations Institute finds three-quarters of Australians think our economy is “too reliant on China”.
In the middle of last year, indicators emerged that China’s large, and iron-ore-hungry, property construction sector was struggling. This meant, according to an analysis published by News.com.au, that “disaster loomed” for the local economy.
