Opposition leader Simon Busuttil with Malta’s trade envoy to China, Sai Mizzi-Liang, in Shanghai yesterday. Photos: DOIOpposition leader Simon Busuttil described his meeting with Malta’s trade envoy to China, Sai Mizzi-Liang, as “bizarre”.
Dr Busuttil said that, at the end of a meeting in Shanghai yesterday that lasted more than 30 minutes, he was “unimpressed” by her answers about her work as a trade envoy.
“So far, the Opposition has been very critical of Sai Mizzi’s appointment for reasons of nepotism [she is the Energy Minister’s wife] but, after this meeting, the criticism will also focus on the fact that she is not up to it,” Dr Busuttil told the Times of Malta from China.
He said the meeting had only been confirmed on Thursday night.
Dr Busuttil is expected to leave China today after leading a Nationalist Party delegation on the invitation of the Communist Party.
Before leaving to China he had requested a meeting with Ms Mizzi-Liang, who was appointed trade envoy by Malta Enterprise two years ago with a pay packet of €13,000 a month amid widespread criticism. She was subsequently appointed Malta’s consul general in Shanghai.
Dr Busuttil said Ms Mizzi-Liang protested strongly when he raised the salary issue and she could not understand what the fuss was about her being the Energy Minister’s wife.
Ms Mizzi-Liang has been elusive over the past two years making a rare appearance this week in Malta at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government and Huawei Technologies, a communications company.
Dr Busuttil said Ms Mizzi-Liang could not provide any contact details for her whereabouts in Shanghai. “She got flustered and told me that she did not sit behind a desk all day.”
She got flustered and told me that she did not sit behind a desk all day
The face-to-face meeting took place in the office block where Malta’s consular representation will operate from. However, the 160 square-metre office on the 11th floor – bought for €2 million and partly funded by the EU – could not be used because of refurbishment works.
“We met in a meeting room on the fourth floor but were told the consular office would be ready by the end of the month,” Dr Busuttil said.
Foreign Minister George Vella last week told this newspaper he did not know where Ms Mizzi Lang was operating from.
A friendly handshake on Simon Busuttil’s first encounter with Sai Mizzi-Liang.“When I asked her about George Vella’s statements she told me that she could not understand why the minister had said what he said,” Dr Busuttil said.
He noted that Ms Mizzi Liang was unable to provide a concrete list of her achievements, mentioning only a memorandum of understanding on areas of cooperation and the Huawei office opening in Malta.
“On the Huawei agreement she could not quantify the value of the investment and how many people would be employed. But the bizarre part was that she seemed oblivious to the idea of Malta being a potential gateway to the EU.”
Dr Busuttil was also critical of Ms Mizzi Liang’s inability to encourage Maltese businesses tap the Chinese market.
“Incredibly she mentioned the wine and pork sectors that could be tapped by Maltese enterprises but doubted companies were sufficiently competitive to enter the Chinese market,” Dr Busuttil said, adding Ms Mizzi Liang cut short the argument by insisting her job was limited to attracting investment to Malta.
Dr Busuttil said she demonstrated “very little knowledge” of Malta’s investment incentives.
“The meeting was very cordial and I told her about our objections to her appointment but if this were an interview for the post of trade envoy she would have definitely failed,” he said.
Dr Busuttil expressed surprise at the presence of the Economy Ministry’s public relations officer at the meeting.
A short statement released by the ministry said that Ms Mizzi Liang gave Dr Busuttil an overview of her work to attract Asian investment to Malta. The statement said new investments would be announced in the coming months.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com