Jul 3, 2026 – 12.00pmIn 2014, Colin Barnett was standing, waiting in the bowels of Beijing’s Great Hall of the People when he was tapped on the shoulder by a Chinese official.The West Australian premier had assumed his usual place behind the leaders of several more populous Australian states as they lined up to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Tom RabePolitical correspondentTom Rabe is the Western Australia political correspondent, based in Perth.Fetching latest articles
Dinner with Xi and duels with Stokes: how Colin Barnett led the mining state
The former premier gained a unique perspective on Beijing and Western Australia’s richest people during his eight years in charge.
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