Treasurer Joe Hockey says Clive Palmer’s extraordinary televised tirade against China is hugely damaging for Australia.

Mr Palmer used an appearance on ABC’s Q&A program on Monday to accuse China of trying to take over Australia’s ports to steal the nation’s natural resources.

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He described the Chinese as “bastards” and “mongrels” who shoot their own people.

He is in a very obvious legal dispute with his Chinese partners but I’d say to Mr Palmer, please don’t bring down the rest of Australia because of your biases.

“I think it is hugely damaging for Mr Palmer to make those sort of comments,” Mr Hockey told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr Hockey said Mr Palmer had been a big beneficiary of Chinese investment in Australia.

“He is in a very obvious legal dispute with his Chinese partners but I’d say to Mr Palmer, please don’t bring down the rest of Australia because of your biases.”

The Palmer United Party leader is embroiled in a legal battle with Chinese state-owned company CITIC Pacific, which has accused the mining magnate of siphoning off $12 million in funds.

You can’t just drop your bundle on national television.

Mr Palmer has strenuously denied accusations that his company Mineralogy misused CITIC Pacific’s cash to finance PUP’s federal election campaign.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce agrees Mr Palmer’s comments were inappropriate.

“You can’t just drop your bundle on national television,” he said.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade hitting nearly $151 billion in 2013.