VIDEO: Rudd sensitive to China issue

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon mixed with some of China's most powerful military generals and Communist Party leaders on a 2002 trip to China paid for by wealthy businesswoman Helen Liu.

Cutting short Christmas celebrations in Australia, Mr Fitzgibbon attended a Chinese military art exhibition with Ms Liu in Beijing on Boxing Day 2002 alongside six three-star generals, 60 lower ranking generals and 700 other Chinese VIPs.

But late yesterday, a spokesman for Mr Fitzgibbon said he couldn't recall the reason for attending the Chinese military function other than it was probably part of the ''cultural experience'' of the trip.

Mr Fitzgibbon's spokesman said the function was ''one of many'' which Labor MP had been ''wheeled into and wheeled out of''' by Ms Liu. He said Mr Fitzgibbon could not recall what Ms Liu's connection was with the event. The details of his trip have emerged amid a call yesterday by the Defence officials for personnel to help hunt down those who have conducted an unauthorised investigation into Mr Fitzgibbon's personal affairs. At the Beijing function, held to commemorate chairman Mao Zedong's birthday, Mr Fitzgibbon circulated with Li Jing, commander of China's naval air force, Zhou Kegu, deputy chief of the Peoples Liberation Army political department, Li Jingsong, president of China's military science academy, and Zhou Tienong, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Ms Liu played a key role in the event and was photographed at the centre of four document signing ceremonies, including one with the director of the Hunan province tourism bureau. Mr Fitzgibbon was presented as her guest of honour.

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