You credit Muscat with far more political insight and skill than he actually has.

What is Nair’s relationship to Patricia Hills, London Executive Assistant to Edward de Bono, who is registered at the same address at 135b, Holland Park Avenue, whilst her husband Richard Hills is listed with “Shiv Shankor” at 135a, Holland Park Avenue?

Is it normal that there are so many versions to his name?

How many facets are there to Pradeep Prenyan Shivshankar Nair? and to his deals?

What happens to those who get in the way?

Is the Malta connection pure coincidence?

Malta’s EU membership is what makes it so attractive to China.

No wonder they hate the fact we are members of the European Union. These going ons are bad enough but imagine what they would get up to if we weren’t members.

And they made such a fuss about Tonio Fenech’s miserable clock.

I must say I’m sick to my stomach right now.

My take on it is this:

Having been reprimanded for dumping solar panels on the EU, China has been looking for less conspicuous ways of doing the same. If the solar panels are produced in Malta, they can be traded all over the EU without restrictions or extra tariffs.

Do you remember Joseph Muscat promising unskilled young people that they too will find jobs during the electoral campaign? Do you remember Joseph Muscat encouraging young people to take up manufacturing a couple of months ago?

Why would he make such outrageous and outdated claims unless he has a trick up his sleeve?

It is often said that China is the world’s biggest factory. Joseph Muscat’s and China’s vision is that Malta will become an extension of that factory, with the benefit of being in the EU.

You might think that high labour costs will stop China from doing this. Not really. First of all, labour costs are not the only consideration and, secondly, wages in China have been rising rapidly in the last decade anyway. When companies want to produce stuff really cheaply, they don’t go to China these days. They go to Bangladesh or Myanmar or some other less developed Asian country. All things considered, Malta’s labour costs are not that expensive, and Joseph Muscat has long dropped his policy of pursuing a living-wage.

It’s a win-win situation for China and Joseph Muscat. China will get unfettered access to the EU market, Joseph Muscat will be able to claim that he’s generating jobs (the sub-literate and low-skilled won’t complain about working conditions or low wages).

What’s more? China will get a voice in the EU through Malta akin to Syria’s voice in the UN through Russia.

So China has a lot to gain by investing in Malta.

And it’s not only China. I have a sneaking suspicion that Joseph Muscat has been running around promising every monarch and dictator he can lay his hands on the same three things:

1) Backdoor access to the EU market,

2) A belligerent voice in the EU,

3) No questions asked

Naturally, the services come at a price: cheap oil, a free study about a bridge, investment in a faltering company and so on and so forth. It’s not so much beggar-bowl diplomacy as it is shameless and cheap prostitution.

Lest you think that I’m turning into the infamous conspiracy theorist kev, read this:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-23/china-solars-move-factories-overseas-to-avoid-eu-duties.html

Karl de Gucht, EU Trade Commissioner.

From FT.com:

An EU trade spokesman said that “Commissioner De Gucht . . . made it very clear to the Vice-Minister that he was aware of the pressure being exerted by China on a number of EU member states which explains why they are positioning themselves as they are in their advisory positions towards the European Commission”.

Well said!

Is the energy minister’s wife working for Malta Enterprise, or is she working for Shiv Nair?”

My questions:

(a) Now we have to ask, is the government of Joseph Muscat working for Shiv Nair?

(b) Is the Minister for Energy working for Shiv Nair? Did you notice how Konrad Mizzi tried to assure journalists that his wife’s work will not be related to his Ministry?

2. “That’s because she’s probably not working for Malta Enterprise, but for Shiv Nair.”

My questions and observations:

(a) If Mrs. Mizzi Liang is working for Shiv Nair, and if she discussed her position in Shanghai with her husband as he himself admitted, then does it not follow that the Minister is also implicated in working for Shiv Nair because of his direct relationship with his wife?

(b) Why did Joseph Muscat make Konrad Mizzi (considering he is married to Mrs. Mizzi Liang) spokesperson, and now Minister of Energy, replacing Marlene Farrugia?