The Irish Times reports that, yesterday in Beijing, China welcomed Zimbabwe madman Robert Mugabe with open arms. Mugabe ranked right at the top of this list of The World's 10 Worst Dictators. Xi Jinping, the heir apparent to Chinese president Hu Jintao, called Mugabe an “old friend” and a “trustworthy friend” of China. Here's the Times Beijing correspondent Clifford Coonan:
Mr Xi described the 87-year-old Mr Mugabe, who has been marginalised by most of the international community for human rights abuses, as “a famed leader of the national liberation movement in Africa and also an old friend whom the Chinese people know well”.
A paragraph later comes what one normally refers to as an understatement:
China is often criticised for its “values-free” approach to dealing with some of the countries in Africa and elsewhere that the international community shuns.
Canada, of course, is warming up its relations with China. At this point, Canada can only aspire to Zimbabwe's lofty status! The last time a Canadian leader was in Beijing — that would be Prime Minister Stephen Harper — Canada got a dressing-down from the Chinese premier for not showing up enough. (I reacted badly to watching Wen dis Harper)