An ‘honour’ we can do without

Thursday 3rd December 2009, 3:00PM GMT.

From Wayne Le Cuirot.
IT was good to see a note of integrity in the letters page over the weekend from Amnesty International Jersey Group’s chairman concerning the recent Chinese visit.

Madam Fu Ying’s trip here in her role as Chinese Ambassador was described in the JEP’s leader column as an ‘honour’. The paper showed much guffawing over the presentation to her of a ‘cuddly Jersey cow’ and proceeded to quote her fatuous comment that ‘Jersey is not a tax haven, but a low tax place’.

It would have been pleasant to imagine that at some part of her visit someone might have made pertinent comments regarding any future relationship with the Peoples’ Republic which might have washed the smile off this woman’s face.
We are in reality dealing with a regime which has little regard for human rights.

Doubtless you have had little contact with the Uighur majority in Xinjang who see themselves crowded out of their own country by the Han Chinese. Recent executions have signalled what will happen to any future protestors there.

Everyone must surely be aware of the fate of Tibet, occupied by the Chinese in 1950 and having their culture and way of life systematically destroyed ever since.
As a consequence of packing peasantry into large factories, paying little regard to their well being and subsequently undercutting the world, the regime is now in the fortunate position, for example, of holding $800 billion in US Treasury securities and is predicted soon to be the world’s largest economy.

There does appear to be this horrible logic being postulated that we can merrily ignore the EU and instead choose to associate with the Chinese, whose disregard for democracy and freedom of speech, their sale of arms to dictatorial regimes throughout the world, while also being classified as the world’s worst polluter, means presumably it’s just a case of money yet again over morals.
Does anyone else feel slightly queasy over this prospective arrangement?


  1. 1
    mistershifter

    If you are saying the Chinese show little regard for their population or its views, ignore the wishes of the masses and bow down the great ‘cuddly’ cash cow irrespective of the results . . . Well then both governments will make fine bed-fellows!

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  2. 2
    Adrian

    Good letter Wayne well put together. Mind you good letters can often be ignored in the rush for profit.

    Will Jersey also be censoring internet access for its citizens as well I wonder? Or partaking of any of the more draconian ways of doing things?

    Maybe North Korea will be the next step for Jersey?

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  3. 3
    Claire Stephens

    I would include Russia in countries that we shouldn’t touch with a barge pole because of the human rights abuses and general level of kleptocracy. Anybody else see what the Moscow authorities did to that lawyer for the US hedge fund Hermitage? People who can deal with that sort of regime are, in my opinion, lower than pond life.

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  4. 4
    Nathan Jordan

    Our only problem in passing judgement on other governments would seem to be the human rights record of the British government which leaves much to be desired considering we forced over two thirds of the world to live under our Empire.

    Although the concerns about Human Rights abuses in China are valid, we are dealing with a country which has the fifth highest GDP in the world and could one day become the largest Economic superpower – It’s a safe bet that everyone reading this column has used Chinese products whether they know it or not.

    We also need to wonder how we, as liberal democracies, will be able to improve the situation in China if we refuse to engage with the country’s government at any level?

    NJ.

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  5. 5
    Adrian

    If other governments go along with these sort of regimes it gives them the confidence to carry on as they are in my opinion. Why bother changing if it doesn’t affect them?

    NJ “Although the concerns about Human Rights abuses in China are valid…”

    Does this mean if there is enough money in it we can overlook other issues?

    I would point out the very valid issue of Tibet which nearly everyone seems to keep very quiet about for some reason. Maybe this embarrasses them too much to talk about? If it doesn’t then it should do.

    As far as I am concerned all governments should be asking for a permanent withdrawl from Tibet of foreign forces. Anything less makes a mockery of the UN charter of self determination in my book.

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