China, officially celebrating the ‘Year of Italy’, has reacted angrily to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s comments that Chinese people used to ”boil babies”.
”We are not satisfied with such remarks, which are groundless and lack any facts,” the foreign ministry said in a brief statement faxed to Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.
”Italian leaders’ speeches should be beneficial to the development of the stability of friendly relations between China and Italy.”
Berlusconi, campaigning for re-election and trailing in the polls, made the remarks during a rally on Sunday in reference to China under the reign of former Communist leader and People’s Republic founder Mao Zedong.
”I am accused of having said that the [Chinese] Communists used to eat children,” he said.
”But read The Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields.”
The Chinese embassy in Rome also put out a statement on Tuesday denouncing the comments.
”China is incensed by the unfounded claims made by Prime Minister Berlusconi,” the embassy’s statement said.
Meanwhile, cultural events in Beijing and elsewhere around China were set to continue to mark the ‘Year of Italy’.
A spokesperson at the Italian embassy declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if the Berlusconi’s comments would have an impact on the celebrations, which are aimed at raising Italy’s profile in China. – AFP
