Just heard about the Chinese minister executed...

[SueBaroo]

blimey

Life is cheap in China.

"Dozens of people have died in China because of poor quality or fake food and drugs, sparking widespread international fears about the safety of Chinese exports.

Thirteen babies died of malnutrition in 2005 after being fed powdered milk that had no nutritional value.

US inspectors have blamed exported Chinese pet food ingredients, contaminated with melamine, for the deaths of cats and dogs in North America.

And they recently halted shipments of toothpaste from China to investigate reports that they may be contaminated with toxic chemicals."

So, although the death penalty seems harsh, he was responsible for the above really.

I think that executing lying and corrupt politicians the world over is quite a good idea.

It does seem a little harsh to kill him, but he certainly deserved a long jail sentence. Prehaps its one of situations where life should mean life. However a country like China doesn't have the resources to keep people in jail for life.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6345165.stm

I remember reading a story about a little girl who died after being given fake anti biotics for an ear infection. She was only five.

"I think that executing lying and corrupt politicians the world over is quite a good idea"

DH and I had a chuckle about that thought last night too when it was on the news (although I hasten to add we're both against the deathly penalty in reality) it would certainly make our politicians stand up and take notice

"...the deathly penalty..."

i think it is interesting that we might see China as a brutal country for executing a government minister, but not other countries [like USA] who execute on the whole only the poor.

well done china for being so firm.

oops - guess who doesn't re-read what she posts ......mind you I've been up since 4.30 so that's my excuse

But Ruty, China is a brutal country with an horrific human rights record. You just can't compare it to the USA. I don't agree with the death penalty and death row in particular is horrible, but the yanks generally only execute serial and/or brutal killers.

Agree Callisto about China's human rights record - awful. Just thought it was interesting that there is some equality in its brutality whereas in the West it is generally the poor who bear the brunt.

Camp X-ray is pretty horrific and some of the war crimes in Iraq as as bad anything done by the Chinese.

Personally I don't agree with the death penalty, but I can understand why the Chinese have punished him in this way.

the americans till relativley recently had slavery. china was a civilised country long before the usa.
america is the only country to ever use a nuclear bomb as a weapon on humans. 'how' do they have the morale high ground?
death by execution for murder is sanctioned by every religion i know of, and almost every society accross time. whilst i have no strong feelings about it, people other than me,more knowledgable about it, do not think it against humanity

"But Ruty, China is a brutal country with an horrific human rights record. You just can't compare it to the USA."

Um.

I think its a little unfair to suggest that Zheng Xiaoyu diliberately murdered children in the strictest sense. He was driven by greed and was dishonest. Prehaps didn't occur to him that the children would die if given fake baby milk or antibiotics.

However I don't think the chinese deciding to execute him is unreasonable. He had a trial and there was evidence he was guilty.
Certainly you cannot compare their decision to the Tiaminman Square masscare.

Rather than execute this individual, I think it would be better to overhaul the system so that there is more accountability. Checks and balances. An individual should not have the power to do so much harm. After the execution, the system will be the same so except for the deterrent effect of the punishment meted out in this case, there will be nothing to stop the same sort of thing happening again. And I believe that it is the likelihood of being caught and exposed which is a far greater deterrent than the nature of any punishment. People who do this think they won't get caught.

Sorry Ruty, missed your point slightly re: status and protection for crimes committed.

Cylonbabe - this is now not 50 or 100 or a 1000 years ago. I couldn't really give a shite what my ancestors did as it is how I live my life and the values I instil in my children that count. Right now the Chinese govt is turning a blind eye to all sorts of horrible things just so that they achieve economic growth: child labour, slave labour, pollution on a massive, unbelievable scale. You're all (not just you Cylonbabe) so holier than thou about the Yanks but pretty much every nation on earth has a murky past, including our own.

You(again, collectively)also might consider how come chinese goods are so cheap. Next time you buy that cheap piece of crap from China (that you simply must have or the world will stop turning) spare a thought for the poor sod who ruined his/her health for your transitory pleasure.

i do think about that Callisto.

Bloody Hell.

"so holier than thou about the Yanks but pretty much every nation on earth has a murky past, including our own. "

As far as I know Camp X-ray is still open for business. The UK and US have both committed attocities in Iraq. I don't think that you can say that the human rights abuses done by the US are in the past.

I don't agree with the death penalty, but I don't think this man should have gone unpunished. Prehaps the Chinese decided that literally heads had to roll. Sometimes one has to respect the internal affairs of another country.

My sympathy is with the young children who lost their lives or were left disabled. What about them?

It would have been better if the man had had his life spared in return to helping to reform the system. However China is a poor country and maybe can't afford to have a man in prison for 40 years.

Ruty - it is almost impossible to boycott Chinese goods as they make practically everything but I try to only buy things we actually need otherwise we freecycle or ebay (esp for plastic toys - paddling pools, ride on toys etc). I also try to buy British or European when I can. It makes no difference in the grand scheme but it makes me feel marginally better.

Did you know that Chinese container ships come to Britain packed with tons of stuff and leave either with waste cardboard to recycle for packaging or, worse, leave empty? But that is a whole other thread...