In the mid-1990s I was one of the journalists who covered the visit of a Maltese delegation led by Eddie Fenech Adami, then prime minister, to the People’s Republic of China. It was quite a large delegation. Most, if I remember correctly, came from the Maltese business community.
The visit to China aimed at discovering new ways of expanding trade and economic relations with that vast country. Any country that ignores the existence of such a gargantuan economy does so at its own peril. It was true then and it is even truer today, given that China will soon leapfrog the United States to become the largest economy in the world.
Fenech Adami met the media immediately after the meeting of the two delegations. I fielded the first question: “Mr Prime Minister, did you bring up the subject of human rights in your meeting with your Chinese counterparts?” His positive answer was the highlight of my report during the news bulletin on RTK, which I then headed.
The Chinese are particularly touchy on this subject. They had asked Maltese journalists to submit just one question for the Chinese prime minister. We submitted a very complex one. The answer came back that we have to leave out the part on human rights. I did not accept and boycotted the news conference as I was not ready to act as a tape-recorder for the Chinese dictator.
This was an added reason why I preferred to ask our prime minister about human rights rather than about business and investments. Men and women do not live by business and investment alone. Besides, human rights are – or at least should be – everybody’s business. Whenever and wherever human rights are trampled on, our own human rights are being trodden on too.
Only a weak politician will not rise to the occasion of pushing for the respect of human rights in season and out of season, to use a Pauline phrase. Many world leaders are of the same opinion.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has just visited China and signed a string of trade and investment deals. But did Merkel stay mum on human rights because the Chinese could be annoyed and the business deal could go bust?
Some were suggesting that the subject of human rights should only be brought up in private and not aired in public. Merkel, who knows the evils of Communism first-hand as she hails from former East Germany, was of a different opinion. She spoke about human rights at the elite Tsinghua University in Beijing.
“It’s important that citizens can believe in the power of the law, and not the law of the powerful,” she said. “It’s important to have laws on this regard that function as a guardian of principles. You need on open, pluralistic and free society in order to shape the future successfully.”
The Chinese media pretended not to listen and reported nothing. But the rest of the world did listen.
Last month, Li Keqiang, the Chinese Premier, visited the UK. Trade deals potentially amounting to £18 billion (€23billion) were on the discussion table. On the eve of the visit, Nick Clegg, the British Deputy Prime Minister, accused China of conducting “large-scale and systematic” human rights abuses. Clegg said China has “shackled” its people and is “persecuting” the free media.
Upping the ante, Clegg said he would be “more than happy” to meet the Dalai Lama again. The reference is particularly powerful as Cameron’s meeting, three years ago, with the Tibetan leader was followed by a diplomatic deep freeze between the two countries.
The list continues ….
Norway awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo. The Chinese authorities were not amused. But this is not an issue of amusement, is it?
French President François Hollande visited China last April. He was travelling with a delegation representing dozens of French businesses on a mission to boost trade amid worsening economic troubles. He did not, however, put money over principles when he said: “Regarding human rights and democratic principles, they are both part of the dialogue we are having.”
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat went to China. We have been told we should be very happy that a company that had been blacklisted by the World Bank told Muscat it is feasible to build a bridge from Malta to Gozo. Blacklisted companies were pariahs before the election, now they can be bosom friends. Companies are blacklisted by the World Bank only when there is ample proof of persistent corruption and/or criminal activity. It seems the government has no problem cosying up with criminals if they bring in the pappa.
It seems our government has no problem cosying up with criminals if they bring in the pappa
We were also told that a memorandum of understanding was signed which could bring good bucks to our islands. Well done. And in-between one bit of news and another, the tearful wife of minister Konrad Mizzi said that a person with a normal IQ would not believe she gets €13,000 a month.
The contract was published; the sums were counted and divided. It transpires that Sai Mizzi Liang was very generous with tears but gravely economical with the truth.
Did anyone mention anything about human rights? Was the subject on the top, middle or bottom of the Prime Minister’s agenda? Ma tarax! (Forget about it!)
The comment of Chinese artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei is very apt for the occasion:
“For anyone doing big business with China not to mention those universal values [i.e. human rights] is putting money and short-term profit before very important values. It’s shameful.”
• Please do go to the Culture and Entertainment supplement of today’s paper. There is an interesting interview with Fr John Caruana about his just-published e-book on Maltese missionaries. This volume of over 400 pages gives sterling information and photographic evidence on the great contribution that so many Maltese gave and are still giving to humanity. I will comment on the book and its relevance next Sunday.
Fr Caruana’s book can be accessed and downloaded from the website of the diocese of Maringa, Brazil. Click on www.arquidiocesedemaringa.org.br and then press on Multimedia where the title of the book The Maltese Missionary Experience features prominently. Click on it and you will be guided to another page from where you can open or download the book to your computer for free.
joseph.borg@um.edu.mt