Government press release: FINANCE MINISTER PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHINESE ENGINEERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DURING CONSTRUCTION OF NO 6 DRYDOCK
The government’s Department of Information released this statement and photographs yesterday.
FINANCE MINISTER PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHINESE ENGINEERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DURING CONSTRUCTION OF NO 6 DRYDOCK
Finance Minister Prof. Edward Scicluna attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Addolorata Cemetery on Saturday 5th April 2014 in remembrance of two Chinese engineers who lost their lives during the construction of the No. 6 Dry Dock in Malta in 1979.
The ceremony is an annual event organised by the Chinese Embassy on Chinese Qingming, a Chinese public holiday which is marked by the paying of respects to those who passed away during significant events. The two engineers buried at the Addolorata Cemetery are Mr. Xu Huizhong and Mr. Gu Yanzhao.
In a brief address during a brief commemorative ceremony, Prof. Scicluna emphasised that the ceremony holds special significance as it represents a symbol of the ongoing friendship between Malta and China. Prof. Scicluna underlined that friendship between two countries does not simply amount to conducting business with one another during time of success, but represents a much deeper and stronger human bond that manifests itself through sustained mutual assistance in times of need.
Prof. Scicluna recalled that when Malta had undertaken the journey to diversify its economy away from a military base towards becoming an economically independent developed country, it welcomed the generous Chinese government assistance to develop its much needed infrastructure.
Prof. Scicluna explained that China’s assistance allowed Malta to develop and construct the No. 6 Dry Dock, also known as the Red China Dock, which is the biggest dry dock in the Mediterranean and which allowed Malta to remain on the map as a strategic ship repair destination.
The Finance Minister explained that now, Malta and China are poised for their next stage of their friendship, with Malta becoming an ever-more successful European Member State and China well on its way to becoming the leading world economic power.
“Our two countries can look forward to a bright future of economic cooperation based on a well established, tried-and-tested foundation of friendship,” said Prof. Scicluna.
On his part the Chinese Ambassador Chinese Ambassador to Malta H.E. Mr. Cai Jinbiao welcomed the presence of the Minister as a representative of the Maltese Government and a symbol of the friendship which exists between the two countries. He also augured success to the future ventures which the two governments were embarking on.
Also present for the ceremony was the Sta. Lucija Mayor Frederick Cutajar, senior representatives of the Malta-Chinese Friendship Society, and the Malta-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Read the original here: PR140727
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“The Finance Minister explained that now, Malta and China are poised for their next stage of their friendship, with Malta becoming an ever-more successful European Member State and China well on its way to becoming the leading world economic power.”
In other words, Malta becoming China’s stooge in the EU.
Malta is already. China’s stooge in the EU. That’s why Joseph Muscat was elected. He’d signed a long-term agreement with China, remember?
Another day in Maltastan.
Was it this dock that was once described as a white elephant?
No that was Merilweez Dock number 1
Contrast that with government’s refusal to commemorate the start if WWI in which several Maltese fought and died.
Tghid ghax mietu ghall-barrani?
At least – and irrespective of China’s current pretensions on Enemalta – a tribute to those poor men who were press-ganged into doing their bit for Malta.
I vividly remember them being carried in busloads from Tigne Barracks to their place of work – with a few of them occasionally failing to do the return trip.
How about them paying tribute to the workmen who got injured when setting up the Nexos equipment for the world epic ”Gensna”?
Will Nexos be facing compensation claims for the injuries to the eyes, which may well prove permanent, to several people during a PUBLIC event?
Are the health and safety people in the health department still asleep?
Truly, a government made in China.
“Malta and China are poised for their next stage of their friendship.”
We have it from the horse’s mouth. It’s annexation next.
I, for one, bow to our new Chinese overlords.
Big Bird in China – Any allusion to our Konrad is purely coincidental.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVaAlMoLq5U
Is a public holiday in the making ?
“Our two countries can look forward to a bright future of economic cooperation based on a well established, tried-and-tested foundation of friendship,” said Prof. Scicluna.
Dejjem din kienet il-viżjoni tal-Partit Laburista fil-gvern: kif se jirkeb il-karru ta’ ħaddieħor biex jerda’ minn fuqu. Viżjoni ta’ politika tal-‘welfare state’ fuq dahar pajjiz kbir iehor. Lest jinbiegħ, jitlef id-dinjita’ tiegħu, basta jiekol bla wisq taħbit. Politika tal-prostituta u tal-iskjav.
Kieku ma kienx hekk, kif kellu jkun il-Partit Laburista li joħroġ bl-idea tal-Integration mar-Renju Unit? Veru li meta l-pjan ma rnexxiex ħareġ jgħajjat bl-indipendenza, imma f’moħħu kellu dejjem l-idea li ningħaqdu ma’ pajjiż ieħor ikbar minna.
Niftakar lil Lino Briguglio jgħid li fiż-żmien li għamel fl-amministrazzjoni Laburista (dak iz-zmien fil-Freedom Press, il-Marsa) kien sab korrispondenza ta’ Mintoff mal-gvern Taljan jissuġġerixxi li Malta tkun reġjun ieħor tal-Italja.
Meta mbagħad kien Borg Olivier li ġab l-indipendenza għal Malta, Mintoff ra kif għamel, bis-soltu mutetti ta’ theddid, biex jibqa’ jerda’ billi jtawwal iż-żamma tal-bażi militari. Irnexxielu jtawwalha biss b’5 snin għax li kien minnu kienet iddum aktar żgur, basta jdaħħal il-flus minnha.
Jum il-Ħelsien ta’ għajni! Għas-slogans u l-marketing ma jirbaħlu ħadd lil-PL. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li fl-1979, wara li ma sab ‘il-ħadd mill-pajjiżi l-kbar ‘ħbieb’ tiegħu (hekk imsejħa non-allineati) spiċċa f’ħoġor Qaddafi għall-‘għajnuna finanzjarja’ ta’ pajjiżna.
Veru li kien hawn ukoll iċ-Ċiniżi (anke dak in-nhar) imma għalkemm fetħu xi fabriki tagħhom (bl-għajnuna ta’ kontroll strett fuq l-importazzjoni) Malta ma setgħetx tistrieħ fuq iċ-Ċina — għal diversi raġunijiet. Illum li reġa’ għandna gvern laburista bl-istess mentalita’ Mintoffjana (minkejja l-hype kollu ta’ politika ġdida u differenti) qed terġa’ toħroġ fl-aqwa tagħha din il-politika tal-prostituta,
U fiċ-ċirkustanzi geo-politiċi tal-lum, min jista’ jkun l-aħjar / l-aqwa pajjiż li l-Labour jitqaħħab miegħu jekk mhux iċ-Ċina?
History repeating itself. Iż-żgħar ma jiftakrux dak li ġara qabel imma dawk li għexuh m’għandhomx iktar skuża. Mea culpa. Jidher ċar li taħt il-Labour Malta se ssir satellita taż-Ċina, l-istess bħalma fi żmien Mintoff Malta kienet saret satellita tal-Libja.
Bid-difetti kollha tan-Nazzjonalisti, min jara sa mnieħru biss ma jindunax li bil-Labour fil-gvern, id-dinjita’ ta’ Malta f’għajnejn id-dinja diga’ waqgħet għal għajnha u l-qagħda ekonomika tal-poplu (b’kuntrast ma’ tal-qalba — kif ġara qabel) kulma jmur se tkompli teħżien.
Għalissa nisperaw biss li l-konsegwenzi ma jkunux agħar minn dawk ta’ qabel.