What happened to Bishop Su?

This week marks the 92nd birthday of Bishop Su of Baoding, China, if he is still alive. He has been in captivity at the hands of the of Chinese Communist Party since 1997 and, before 1997, he had spent a total of 27 years in and out of prisons and forced labour camps.

His crime was doing the things that a Roman Catholic bishop should do, namely spreading the gospel, providing sacraments and highlighting that it is a human being who is of infinite value, not the state.

There is no information about what has happened to Bishop Su, despite questions from UK MPs and US members of Congress and him being on the Victim List of the United States Commission of International Religious Freedom.

This week, Foreign Minister Ian Borg welcomed Lu Kang, Vice Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China. This is the person who, in 2019, stated at a press conference that “the Chinese government implements the policy of freedom of religious belief”, while discussing the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile from China since 1959, precisely because of a lack of freedom.

A protester stands next to a banner bearing the images of 47 of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy figures during a rally organised by Taiwan-based Hongkongers. Photo: AFP

In January this year, Borg explained that “in the 52 years of diplomatic relations with China, Malta always adhered to the One-China policy and never sought to establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan”. This is shameful and reflects badly on our nation, our people and all those who have struggled for the freedoms we enjoy in Malta today. A Maltese government minister is not standing with the oppressed but with the oppressor.

Taiwan has never been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, it is an island nation, somewhat like ours: democratic and free. I have no doubt that the people of Malta, if asked, would stand with the 23.5 million people of Taiwan.

Why, then, does our government pander to the Chinese Communists, who are totalitarian and who violate human rights?

Are we to be on the wrong side of history? Are our children and grandchildren to be ashamed of how we Maltese dealt with Communist China or is little Malta going to, once again, punch above its weight, speak truth to power and, next time a Chinese delegation visits Malta, ask them why the Dalai Lama lives in exile?

Why democracy in Hong Kong has been obliterated with nearly 100 political prisoners sentenced to time in jail? Why the administrations of both US presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump have declared what is happening in the Xinjiang region of China a state-sanctioned genocide against the Uyghur people? And what happened to Bishop Su?

Borg claims that “our excellent bilateral relationship with China hinges on the continuation of the long-standing adherence to the One-China policy”. How about next time he welcomes a visitor from China he says something along the lines of “for Malta, excellent bilateral relations are based on a nation’s respect for human rights, commitment to the freedom of its citizens, and adherence to the rule of law”?

ANTON DE PIRO –Valletta