王毅平静回答记者可避免“中国大使”卷入舆论漩涡

Wang Yi’s angry reaction to a Canadian reporter’s question on China’s human rights record has sparked commentaries from all quarters and prompted the defence from diplomats and politicians including Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui and Ontario Minister Michael Chan.

罗照辉在《环球邮报》网站发表的一篇评论文章中呼吁加国人士要看到中加两国对人权问题的看法差异，并警告称揪住人权问题不放可能会影响中加两国共同寻求的黄金时代。

In an opinion piece published on the Globe’s website, the Chinese envoy urges Canadians not to be blinded by their differences with his country over human rights and warns that airing human rights issue will threaten the golden era that the countries are seeking.

罗照辉还称，由于加拿大和中国在历史、文化及政治体制上都有很大不同，两国在人权问题上自然难免会出现不同的观点与看法。

Luo argues that it is natural that Canada and China may have different views on human rights, given the differences between the two countries in history, culture and political system.

安省部长陈国治亦加入了为中国人权辩护的行列。他在华文媒体上发表了一篇观点文章，称中国的人权问题涵义甚广，应将其与中国大众生活广泛改善之现状挂钩。

Ontario Minister Michael Chan also came to the defence of China’s human rights record. He also published an opinion piece in the Chinese media, in which he argued that China’s human rights issue is broader, and should be viewed in connection with the enrichment of Chinese people’s welfare. 

陈国治在文中详细论述了中国过去四十年的发展变化，细数从经济飞速增长和中国民生的各个方面的明显改善以阐述中国所取得的巨大进步。

Chan’s article has put China’s four decades of changes into perspective, reflecting on the great progress that China has made – from its economic growth to the betterment in every aspect of Chinese people’s lives.  

但是，陈国治的这一反响文章本身又引起一轮舆论争议。《环球邮报》发表了题为“安省部长为中国人权辩护”一文，对陈国治在王毅所引发论战中所持的立场提出质疑。保守党国会议员、前加国移民部长Jason Kenny在接受《环球邮报》采访时称，陈给他的印象是“有时候会把自己看做是非官方的中国大使。”

But Chan’s reaction piece has sparked a wave of debates on its own. The Globe and Mail published an article “Ontario Minister defends China’s human rights record”, challenging the minister’s position in Wang’s controversy. The article quoted Jason Kenny, Conservative MP and the former cabinet minister as saying that he got the impression that “Chan sometimes regards himself as an unofficial ambassador for the PRC.”

《环球邮报》的“安省部长为中国人权辩护”一文亦采访了《大中报》社长贾宁扬，贾宁表示，陈国治的文章忽视了加国的价值观，也未谈及中国为这些成就所付出的代价。

Jack Jia, the publisher of Chinese News also weighed in in the article, saying that Chan’s piece ignored the Canadian value, and did not look at what price China has paid for the achievements.

如果外交部长王毅能够平静而理智地回答加国记者的提问，罗照辉和陈国治在评论文章中所论述的观点本可以由他在记者会上顺理成章地表达出来。在国际舞台上代表其国家形象的外交部长在压力面前应具有自我克制，保持冷静和理智的重要素质。如果王毅当初做出了正确选择，中国的人权问题本可免遭国际舆论的更为严厉的审视和置疑，而这两位加国内外的“中国大使”也就不必发表这些引起广泛争议和舆论漩涡的辩护檄文了。

Points in Luo and Chan’s opinion piece could have been made easily by Mr. Wang during the press conference, if he had calmed down and answered the Canadian reporter’s question rationally. Maintaining self-control and staying calm and rational under pressure are key qualities that a foreign minister must have when it represents his country on the global stage. Had Wang made the right choice, it would have avoided China’s human rights record from being put under increased scrutiny, and would have prevented a maelstrom of defensive statements from Chinese “ambassadors”, both foreign and domestic alike.