Chinese vice minister dodges human rights question

The Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce, Yu Guangzhou, yesterday chose not to answer a question on his country's much criticised human rights record and the persecution of the spiritual movement Falun Gong.

Addressing a press conference jointly with Foreign Minister Michael Frendo following a trade related meeting, he opted to speak about China's economic situation when asked why the country insisted on persecuting faith groups like Falun Gong.

A Chinese-American Falun Gong activist, Wang Wenyi, attending a welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington last Tuesday, screamed in Chinese: "Evil people die early," and "Hu, your days are numbered".

Ms Wenyi had similarly stunned then Chinese President Jiang Zemin during a walkabout in Mdina when he was visiting Malta five years ago.

The Times asked Mr Yu why China was successfully opening up economically to the West but then failed to acknowledge human rights and more specifically what China's problem was to stop the persecution of spiritual movements such as the Falun Gong.

He replied: "I would like to take your question from the perspective of the economy and trade, I'd like to provide you with some background... China's achievement in its reform to open up are evident to all... so I think when you talk about China you should have a more personal experience of this country so I suggest that perhaps you can travel to my country to see with your eyes how Chinese businesses and Chinese people have been making full use of their old wisdoms and intelligence in the drive towards China's reform and opening up". Asked about Malta's position on the matter, Dr Frendo said that the Maltese government took part indirectly in the EU-China talks on human rights, adding that during yesterday's meeting between the two the focus was on trade matters.

Dr Frendo will be visiting Beijing, leading a diplomatic and trade delegation, next year, as a follow-up to yesterday's meeting. The occasion of the meeting was the Sixth Session of the Sino-Maltese Mixed commission.

Cooperation between the two countries will focus on specific areas of trade including tourism, information and communication technology and regional business in the Mediterranean region.

The Chinese vice minister said his country will do its utmost to provide the ideal environment for the Maltese delegation next year, adding that he appreciated Malta's pledge to help with China's trade issues with the EU.