Chinese ambassador defends conference walkout

Updated February 12, 2009 16:58:19

China's ambassador to Tonga says he has received a letter of apology from the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. Fan Guijing walked out of the Association's annual conference in Nuku'alofa on Tuesday in protest at comments made by the vice-president of the CBA, Mano Wikranamayake. Mr Wikranamayake said that last year's melamine milk contamination story was suppressed by the Chinese government so the Olympic Games in Bejing would not be disrupted. The scandal left six babies dead and almost 300-thousand ill.

presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: China's ambassador to Tonga, Fan Guijing

GUIJING: Well, I walked out, because that man, the man from Sri Lanka, who is the vice president of the CBA made remarks against my government, remarks which were totally untrue. I walked out in protest. I think that all pressmen should observe the principle of being faithful to facts. If you do not follow what others are saying and whatever the remarks you are making, you have to make sure that the facts are true. But this man had not made any investigation. He just say was fabricating stories.

COUTTS: What story was this Wikranamyake fabricating?

GUIJING: Well, he was just telling the people at the conference, that China's Government suppressed freedom during the Olympic Games. This total nonsense and I believe that all pressmen should have the basic, the minimum sense of morality and he does not seem to have it, the faithful, minimum demands for a pressman, he should know it. He is made to release his remarks regardless of facts.

COUTTS: Now Mr Fan, have you been able to speak with Mr Wikranamayake and express your personal displeasure at his comments?

GUIJING: Well, I believe he is aware of my protest.

COUTTS: And so you two haven't come together to discuss it?

GUIJING: Well, I do not wish to talk to this man and in fact I have already received a letter of apology from the CBA. When I walked out, I did not want to raise this issue publicly at that time, because the conference was a conference for the region, for the press people of the region, it is not for this man only. I just wanted him to know that I was not pleased with his remarks and I want him to have the minimum moral sense.

COUTTS: Now, do you think by walking out of a conference for a lot of people other than Mr Wikranamayake was the correct way to get his attention?

GUIJING: Well, I believe he knew that I was walking out. I was leaving that room in anger and I did not cause any chaos at the conference. As I explained to you earlier, this is a conference for the region, the people, for the press people of the region. It is not for him.

COUTTS: Mr Fan, if we can just get back to Mr Wikranamayke's comments to the CBA. He suggested in his speech that there was suppression of the story of the melamine milk scandal, which caused deaths of young children in an attempt to prevent the Beijing Olympics from being disrupted, you say that that's untrue?

GUIJING: This man, I don't know where he got that. He just make those remarks without any regard to the actual facts.

COUTTS: There is a perception from those in the media, the Western media that went to Beijing for the games that there was an element or degree of press control while they were there?

GUIJING: Well, this is totally untrue. I had the impression that some Western media like to fabricate the stories. For example, during the riot in Tibet, there were a lot of reports by the Western media and many, many of them were totally untrue, and this caused anger from my government. And eventually these people from the Western media apologised publicly for the fabrications they made, and I hope this man from the CBA will also apologise for what he did.

COUTTS; But what about the perception that it exists?

GUIJING: No, no, no. This perception sometimes related to bias.