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Turnbull In China: PM Urges Leaders Not To 'Hide Under The Doona'

The PM has used Aussie parlance to get his point across in China.
The PM has addressed a business event on the sidelines of the G20 in China.
POOL New / Reuters
The PM has addressed a business event on the sidelines of the G20 in China.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has introduced China to a unique Aussie phrase, telling business leaders in Hangzhou that it's no good to "hide under the doona" when it comes to tackling global challenges.

Turnbull is in the eastern Chinese city for the G20 economic summit and earlier on Sunday met with China's president Xi Jinping.

Later, Turnbull told a business event on the sidelines of the summit that there was a "fundamental challenge" to restore global trust in political leaders.

To make his point, Turnbull drew on Australian idiom, saying he hoped those present would understand the metaphor.

"In this time of change you cant afford to just hide under the doona and pretend it's not happening," he told the audience.

"You have to confront the world as it is not as you would like it to be or as you fondly imagine it might once have been.

"It is a time of rapid change but it is a time when we have seen enormous growth, enormous transformation as people are lifted out of poverty, and we need to keep that momentum going."

In the address, Turnbull said strong cooperation was needed between business and government to make sure corporations paid their fair share of tax.

He also said that much work needed to be done to rebuild people's trust in economic and trade reform as nations became increasingly integrated.

Earlier, Turnbull told President Xi that he backed China's G20 agenda.

"The agenda you set recognises that the keys to ensuring economic growth ... are trade, open markets, innovation, investment in infrastructure, ensuring we have economic reform behind the border," he's quoted as saying.

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