AUSTRALIAN mining magnate turned MP Clive Palmer apologised to China today over an outburst of invective on national television.

In an extraordinary tirade of abuse he accused the Chinese of shooting their own people and having no system of justice.

But Mr Palmer, who was elected last September from his own Palmer United Party, yesterday released the text of an apology to China’s ambassador to Australia Ma Zhaoxu.

“I most sincerely apologise for any insult to Chinese people caused by any of the language I used,” Mr Palmer wrote.

“I wish to assure them they have my most genuine and sincere apology.”

The tirade began when he was questioned about a dispute between his mining company Mineralogy and its Chinese state-owned partner.

Mr Palmer said: “They’re communist, they shoot their own people, they haven’t got a justice system and they want to take over this country.”