Economic decoupling from China would be 'act of national self-sabotage', Labor and Liberal MPs agree

Tim Watts and Dave Sharma also say Chinese Australian communities are assets and warn against descent into McCarthyism'

Australia would be shooting itself in the foot if it tried to untangle itself from economic reliance on China, politicians from both major parties have declared, while warning there is no end in sight to the turbulence in the relationship.

Labor MP Tim Watts cautioned on Tuesday that economic decoupling from China - an idea that is advanced by some of the most hawkish politicians in Canberra - would be an unprecedented act of national self-sabotage".