Sino exec, traders slam Miriam for 'racial slur'

(Update) The Chinese Embassy in Manila and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Thursday blasted Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for saying that China brought corruption to East Asia during the Senate probe into the controversial broadband project Wednesday. “Such kind of statement is neither fair nor correct," Chinese Embassy spokesman Peng Xiupin said. “We believe that the Philippine government and the People of the Philippines will not agree to that." Also Thursday, the FFCCCI said in a statement that it was enraged by the remarks made by Santiago. The members of the association want an apology from the senator. “We were taken aback by the irresponsible and insensitive statements by Senator Santiago against the Chinese," the FFCCCI said in a statement. The group said the uproar generated by the alleged anomalous NBN-ZTE deal “cannot be the basis of the unwarranted and regrettable condemnation by Senator Santiago that the Chinese people invented corruption." FFCCCI said Santiago is not only a senator but also chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and “this unfortunate utterance is all the more deplorable." “While her outburst may have been made in the heat of emotion during the ZTE-NBN probe, the general and sweeping racial slur is directed against all Chinese and ethnic Chinese around the world," the group said. Corruption worldwide problem The embassy said corruption is a problem of all nations and it “exists not only in China, nor it was created by China." The embassy issued the statement even as Santiago apologized to the Chinese people for her outburst against China at the Senate hearing. The usually feisty Santiago said she neither intended to malign the Chinese people nor the Chinese civilization, especially since she is married to a half-Chinese. "I would never desecrate the Chinese because I'm married to one of them, and his mother is a full-fledged Chinese," Santiago said in an interview on dzEC radio. She was referring to her husband Narciso Santiago Jr, now a presidential adviser. The Chinese embassy said its government “has all along devoted itself to building of an honest and clean government and combat against all forms of corruption." “In recent years, the Chinese government has adopted even tougher measures in combat against corruption and achieved prominent results," the embassy said. Santiago made the outburst at a Senate hearing Wednesday on the $329.48-million national broadband network deal with Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. of China, shortly before she "walked out" of the proceedings. Santiago said she plans to write a formal letter of apology to the Chinese embassy in Manila. Also, Santiago said she had been a "great admirer of Chinese civilization," having made a special trip to China before she entered the government service. "I've always been a great admirer of Chinese civilization. I made a special trip to China when I was not a public official," she said. - GMANews.TV