Singapore – The Chinese embassy in Singapore has spoken up regarding former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan’s commentary describing it as a misinterpretation and unacceptable.
In an official statement posted on their Facebook page on February 25, the Chinese embassy criticised the comments of Mr Bilahari published in The Straits Times and said the article has “smeared China’s political and leadership systems.”
The commentary entitled “China’s inflection point and the CCP’s fundamental dilemma,” published on February 24, was “no different from the stereotype cliché of Western anti-China voices,” said a spokesperson of the embassy.
“At the difficult periods (sic) when Chinese people are making enormous efforts and sacrifices to fight the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the sense of justice of the author to ideologically denigrate China and sell his long-held prejudice and even hostility towards China has to be questioned,” wrote the embassy.
The spokesperson continued by stating facts of the past 70 years of Chinese history and how the country became “the second-largest economy from scratch.” The embassy mentioned how more than 800 million people had been lifted out of poverty, with people from all ethnic groups enjoying a stronger sense of gain and happiness.
“Such achievements, unique in human history, have been made under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and under the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” said the embassy in response to Mr Bilahari’s comments.
“Though Mr Bilahari himself did not deny China’s great achievements, he still criticised the political system and the leadership system that created them,” noted the embassy’s spokesperson. “It is logically self-contradictory,” the spokesperson added.
The embassy illustrated the level of “arrogance and prejudice” manifested through the hostility towards anything related to China. “Aiming to obstruct China’s sound development momentum, they attack China’s political system and development model, and try to undermine China’s social stability,” said the embassy.
If facts were the basis of conclusions, they have proven and will continue to show that “nothing can derogate the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” they added.
The embassy spokesperson shared that “All constructive comments and suggestions are welcomed, but arrogance and prejudice through coloured glasses are unacceptable.”
With the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, the Chinese embassy noted that President Xi Jinping is “in full command” with the country’s full support in fighting the epidemic. There have been positive results for China and other countries as well, said the embassy.
“Mr Bilahari blamed the outbreak on China’s political system. Then regarding the H1N1 flu that originated in North America and spread worldwide, which (sic) one should be blamed?” asked the spokesperson.
The embassy closed their statement by reiterating the need for everyone to be united at this time, instead of succumbing to “the political virus that keeps people at bay.”
Read the full post below:
https://www.facebook.com/Chinaemb.SG/posts/497611224283569?__xts__[0]=68.ARCTpVU42UWG5Hyhg7dPaJ049KE0eiruclSxCueFJ4gB1GurjnXZsUaOJ6Fdc7Yfdzc-7vkpMbs3bfk4m6UaRzpiH7UpU893sQErt1EkarngUmel2tcbG_MOg6LM5_xXcyhz1gKbMRsulzhO_9f-Nu2F1bNPdkBmjnl4lGsNN5BLZ2mRX2-nw65qZcGPuZx-__67RLl4tjzYGyz34AsNbDfpjyOfgJS6ehNdEhvc6Yapp_MVrdDWXpEC4CdBwkhZ1kuFh10XniPg4wbYuItxxvpOU0gXn6dx6_aroy5vNFUTnu_66Ol8AJIm3mPMd4_kjZrhufYZUrh6vS2afkk&__tn__=-R
Mr Bilahari, in response to the comments of the Chinese embassy, told Today, “What else could they say? All Chinese diplomats are under pressure to respond to President Xi’s instruction to assert China’s narrative.” He added that the embassy’s post did not touch on any substantial points he made.
Mr Bilahari also went to Facebook to share his thoughts on the embassy’s response. He wrote:
Chinese diplomats are under pressure to comply with President Xi’s instruction to put out China’s narrative on Covid-19. They’ll have to do better: they engaged none of my arguments but instead launched fierce salvos against arguments I never made. I find this amusing but I can’t take it seriously. I wonder what President Xi thinks? They’ll have to do far better in engaging substantive arguments to impress him, methinks.
https://www.facebook.com/bilahari.kausikan/posts/2618224631768283?__xts__[0]=68.ARDdQgZtaxeE58GJ6t1o3SvtEiGVho1K_oj6TCLQs0IXcVj_BgrtjfNmHbTg_AptLyecerq_WMYfUDTrEL0kcRz-Hc8e8nrZalBLgizErNU0Au102BvEHSf7qrwmMuFRBu0z6Aq_31xa7mqzcfMgT1wrQx57YRkXsROr_nLhO6Pf4wfYlZV_ztP-11mkNbZLD_Hv_uPqpvzyuDw6txSD2B46rKZI6j9AanaIDVQEi9yCvIRRCzccdxuf6YX21DGo1e-86mikSQb9j8imjpQPx9P9MIW2COtM0cpRGunWy0RYPLUfPYusYOQi43QhXq-3g9Pp-eDsf62baycwr4Sb&__tn__=-R