Chinese foreign
minister berates Canadian reporter for asking about human rights
'Please don't
ask questions in such an irresponsible manner,' Chinese Foreign Minister Wang
Yi said
By Mike
Blanchfield, The Canadian Press Posted: Jun 01, 2016 5:22 PM ET Last
Updated: Jun 02, 2016 7:54 AM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chinese-foreign-minister-berates-reporter-1.3611510
China's Minister
of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi scolds a Canadian journalist during a press
conference with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion. (Justin
Tang/Canadian Press)
China's visiting
foreign minister publicly berated a Canadian journalist on Wednesday for asking
a question about his country's human rights record.
Chinese Foreign
Minister Wang Yi said it was "irresponsible" of a journalist from the
web outlet iPolitics to ask about human rights and the jailing of a Canadian,
Kevin Garratt, who is charged with espionage.
Wang appeared
visibly angry as he delivered the scolding in the lobby of Global
Affairs headquarters at a joint news conference with Foreign Affairs Minister
Stephane Dion.
"Your
question is full of prejudice against China and arrogance ... I don't know
where that comes from. This is totally unacceptable," Wang said through a
translator.
"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,"
he continued.
"So I would
like to suggest to you that please don't ask questions in such an irresponsible
manner. We welcome goodwill suggestions but we reject groundless or unwarranted
accusations."
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The iPolitics
question was agreed to by a number of journalists representing several news
organizations at the event, including The Canadian Press.
Wang asked the
journalist if she'd ever been to China.
China's Foreign
Minister criticizes Canadian
reporter
for her question3:03
"Do you
know that China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty? And do
you know the China is now the second-largest economy in the world from a very
low foundation? ... And do you know China has written protection and promotion
of human rights into our constitution?"
'Honest and
frank conversations'
Earlier, in
response to the question that offended his counterpart, Dion said he raised
Garratt's case with Wang and never misses an opportunity to raise human rights
and difficult consular cases.
Dion said he and
Wang had "honest and frank conversations on human rights and consular
affairs."
"These
discussions are central to a healthy relationship," Dion said. "We
expect that we will not always see eye-to-eye with each other, but we need to
make progress."
China and Canada
also agreed to disagree on the contentious issue of Beijing's behaviour in the
South China Sea, Dion said.
High seas
geopolitical tensions in Asia and free trade aspirations hung over Wang's visit
to Ottawa, which also included a talk with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
his cabinet.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau, right, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday June 1, 2016. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Dion said he had
"mature and respectful discussions on our respective positions on regional
issues including the South China Sea."
He said Wang was
passionate, but so too are China's neighbours.
'New golden age'
of Canada-Chinese relations
Several
countries in the region oppose China's assertive posture, with Japan
particularly taking umbrage over Beijing's claims in the East China Sea. This
is significant because the disputed waters also include important international
shipping lanes.
China wants to
negotiate a free trade deal with Canada, but neither Wang nor Dion had anything
new to announce on that front on Wednesday.
Wang said he believes
Canada and China are headed for a "new Golden Age" in relations,
citing Pierre Trudeau's establishment of diplomatic relations with China in
1970 and gains made by former Liberal prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul
Martin.
Wang made no
mention of former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, whose near-decade
in power started on a frosty note when he was accused of snubbing Beijing.
Trudeau made
positive strides with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first round of
international travel last fall. The Chinese leader praised the vision of
Trudeau's father, Pierre, for establishing diplomatic relations with the
People's Republic in 1970 during a meeting at the G20 in Turkey.