Introduction

Foreign investment in Australian resources has long been a common occurrence and has helped expand the industry, open new markets and provide the necessary expertise to make it a first-class operation. Investments from particular countries have tended to come in waves, with the most recent coming from China. Although this is to be expected because of China's large fiscal surplus and its status as Australia's major trading partner, the speed and extent of investment has raised political and community concerns about whether such is in the national interest. With reference to high-profile ...