Ummmmmm….
National MP Jian Yang backs Simon Bridges’ praise of China’s leadership
Controversial National MP Dr Jian Yang is backing Simon Bridges’ fawning praise of the Chinese Government.
Last week, Dr Yang, Bridges and National foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee travelled to China. While there, the National Party leader appeared on state television channel CGTN for an interview.
Bridges praised the Communist Party of China (CPC) for taking the country from mass poverty to economic prosperity.
“My impression is one of amazement… having been in both Shanghai and Beijing before, it is very different even from just a few years ago. It keeps developing, there is more infrastructure and you can feel the prosperity.
“The last 70 years in China has seen the most remarkable economic transformation in history. It has taken more people out of poverty than ever before.”
Bridges’ praise raised eyebrows back in New Zealand. David Capie, an associate professor of international relations at the Victoria University called the comments “extraordinary”.
“Truly extraordinary comments about the Chinese Communist Party from NZ’s Opposition Leader Simon Bridges in this interview with CGTN. Alarming to have such a big gap between govt & opposition views/language concerning such a critical relationship,” Capie tweeted.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson called it the “most extraordinary interview I think I’ve ever seen the leader of a National Party give. His praise for the Chinese Communist Party went to a level that even the most loyal members of that party would struggle with”.
But the National Party leader has the backing of Dr Yang – who admitted to once training Chinese spies.
In a WeChat article – with the heading “The interview of the party leader of the National Party in China was mocked” and translated from Chinese by Google – Dr Yang criticised Robertson, saying the Chinese Government’s achievements were outstanding. Dr Yang cited World Bank data which shows between 1981 and 2015, a significant number of people were pulled out of poverty.
…I’m not sure if a man widely accused of being a Chinese spy inside the National Party caucus rushing to defend Simon’s bewildering praise of the Chinese regime is really helping…
Dr Yang noted that German chancellor Angela Merkel also last week praised China’s economic direction.
A press release from the German Federal Government says: “China has developed at meteoric speed over the last decades and many Chinese have been lifted out of poverty”.
…sure, but Angela Merkel doesn’t have a suspected Chinese spy in her Government the way National does, they don’t take huge donations from Chinese Businessman like National does and a large chunk of her party doesn’t have personal business relationships with rich Chinese businessmen – the way National does.
Comrade Simon’s jaw dropping praise of China would have led headlines any other week, but it didn’t because it was eclipsed by the Labour Party fiasco, but we shouldn’t allow that to distract attention to China’s ongoing influence over the National Party.
‘Comrade Simon’ as a nickname would ensure it doesn’t.
they don’t take huge donations from Chinese Businessman like National does and a large chunk of her party doesn’t have personal business relationships with rich Chinese businessmen – the way National does.
Maybe not as much, but all parties get big donations —no major political party in the West could do shit without wealthy donors —that’s the way the system works, like it or not.
That’s why there does not seem to be much will to do anything about these sorts of donations from Labour, NZ First, or even the Greens.
Change the system to work for the people for the people. Aka no donations allowed, and a fixed sum given to each party for political campaigning. It should be a jailable crime for any party accepting additional money.
With Brexit, Trump, Cambridge Analytica, Simon’s embarrassing pro Beijing messages, Labour accepting donations from alleged people traffickers selling work visas, and more sycophants in government around the world than ever, growing climate and environmental destruction and so forth, it is time for western nations to stem the rot, and take action by cutting the cheap “100k’ donations for MP seats in the bud and stop the continual interference of power interests into the democratic process.
No donations will make it fair and they can build their billboards like the man did from the Waitakere this couple used pallets they are great pieces of art and they are sustainable and good use of recycling timber so this means our politicians will have to do some thinking be creative rather than take dirty money from overseas that has, ‘what do we get’ attached to it
Agree with changing the systems. Should be no donations, or a very low cap.
It may mean party events are over fish and chips and sausage rolls, but what is wrong with that?
+1 Mark & Michelle
Will bring the whole system back to the people and reality hopefully in time to save the planet.
It’s really gross, Nat MPs instincts are to suck up to the biggest bullies in the world. John Key was sycophantic to the Americans and keen to throw Kiwi troops into military engagements with no exit strategy. Now Simon is enthusiastic to sell NZ sovereignty in order to secure $$$ for himself and his mates. It’s disgusting and Kiwi voters have noticed. You are a disgrace to your whakapapa Simon.
But all too typical of National and its diseregard of human rights or the well being of Kiwis. Their only concern is money and power for the elites, and marketing themselves as something else to the gullible public.
“Their only concern is money and power for the elites, and marketing themselves as something else to the gullible public” – so the same as Labour then
Not.
Comrade Simon, Comrade Yang, Comrade Judith and the rest of the gang. All out for profit ahead of us voters. It follows the path of someone called POTUS!
soimon has been over to China to ask for support and funds to win the 2020 elections a bit of sucking up and out pops a big fat cheque easy as that no questions asked in the mean time.
I’m also surprised Simon was not filmed licking Xi’s shoes at the same time, seriously looking desperate there, Natz!
Lt Col. Yang.
Get his title right.
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