BY BEN KERRIGAN
China ’s foreign minister berated a journalist during a visit to Canada on Wednesday. Wang yi told the reporter off for asking an “irresponsible” question about China’s human rights record.
The confrontation happened at a joint news conference in Ottawa, where Wang yi was meeting up with prime minister, Justin Trudeau and Stephane Dion offered by Wang and Dion, Canadian journalists were limited to one question and a follow-up for both ministers.
However, the Chinese foreign Minister berates a journalist when asked a question he didn’t like. He had been questioned by reporter Amanda Connolly of online news site IPolitics in relation to Human Rights abuses in China. The question made reference to the case of Canadian Kevin Garratt, detained since 2014 in China on charges of espionage and stealing state secrets.
Wang angrily told the reporter, “I have to say that your question is full of prejudice against China and arrogance … I don’t know where that comes from. This is totally unacceptable,” he said through an interpreter.
“Other people don’t know better than the Chinese people about the human rights condition in China and it is the Chinese people who are in the best situation, in the best position to have a say about China’s human rights situation.” That’s inaccurate because foreigners can also have a say on matters of human rights, depending on the facts and evidence before them in particular cases.
Reacting angrily, Wang asked the journalist if she had ever been to China. “Do you know that China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty? … And do you know China has written protection and promotion of human rights into our constitution”? The Chinese ministers question was irrelevant because lifting people out of poverty has nothing to do with the core values and principles of Human Rights. The inclusion of Human Rights in a constitution is not the same as it’s application in practical terms. Breaches of Human Rights can still exist even when in a political constitution.Wang was being emotional when he asked the journalist if she had ever been to China.
The Chinese foreign minister accused the journalist if asking irresponsible questions, and making groundless, unwarranted questions.
The minister was clearly ignoring the facts available to us whether or not we live in China. Ever since President Xi Jinping rose to power, security forces have intimidated and imprisoned critics, including bloggers, journalists, feminist campaigners, lawyers and scholars, in an outright transgression of human right laws. The journalist let him get away with it lightly, she should have placed hard facts before him and shut him up. The Chinese foreign minister had no right to berate the journalist in question, because upon proper examination she was right in her question, and he was wrong in his response.