Maurice Newman, Columnist with the Australian & Former Business Adviser to PM Tony Abbott, joins Michael to discuss his last article ‘China’s growth marks the start of a second cold war’.

China is the world’s second largest economy in nominal GDP with 1.4 billion people… yet the UN still recognises China as a “developing” country enjoying the same “special and differential treatment” as Zimbabwe and Haiti.

Naturally, Beijing sees no reason to give up this self-declared status, claiming the preferential treatment it enjoys is a “fundamental right”, but while it provides just 8 per cent of the UN budget, Beijing’s power and influence is disproportionate to this.

Chinese officials run four of the UN’s 15 specialised agencies. Washington, which contributes three times more than China and, more than 185 member states combined, leads just one.

Download this podcast here