Overplaying the China peril?

McCarthy played the ‘yellow peril’ card in reference to Silver Fern Farms’ capital raising.

”Will our killing sheets be in Mandarin? Silver Fern Farms and the family silver” was the headline of his media release. He stressed “this is not xenophobia” -- a common tactic used by Winston and others who like to play the race card to promote fear.

McCarthy was pushing for the meat industry merger MIE has been on about for a while and he made some valid points about fixing the industry and about protecting regional New Zealand’s economic self-determination. But why use the race card to make the point? China is a key customer for our primary produce. If we’re happy to sell to them, let’s refrain from the racial slights.