Did we really need to get into a diplomatic spat with China while battling the restrictions placed on us by coronavirus?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s suggestion of an investigation into the origin of the pandemic poked a hornet’s nest of aggrieved facesaving and unfortunate remarks from the Chinese side about “wine and vinegar” and “chewing gum”.

More telling was the media ambush of Health Minister Greg Hunt at his own press conference by a Chinese diplomat who took the microphone unannounced and — judging by the Minister’s clear surprise — unexpected.

So what has so riled our chief trading partner to make them...