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[Music]

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I

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welcome to Sputnik With Me George

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Galloway and me gri the plight of the

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chos Islanders long championed by the

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labor leader Jeremy Corbin incidentally

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has been showcased on the Sputnik

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previously via Ben Vogel and its

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president Alan vinin but we just can't

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stay away from the Indian Ocean Paradise

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whose population was ethnically cleansed

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to the last man woman and child by a

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British labor government so that the US

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could have a military base there in

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recent times despite another labor

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foreign secretary's denial it has even

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been used at the very least as a staging

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post to the chal house of the war on

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terror on Wednesday thanks to our first

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guest and his party the SNP the British

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Parliament will be forced to confront

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the issue again the Scottish national

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party have secured a debate on the issue

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which everyone should follow closely

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that man is Dr Paul Monahan MP for half

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of the Scottish Highlands Dr Paul thanks

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for joining us just for those uh viewers

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who don't actually know what happened to

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the people of the chos briefly describe

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it please oh I'll try to it's a it's a

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long and interesting story it goes back

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to the mid-60s uh just before the uh the

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Cal islands and mishas were made

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independent the UK government annexed

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the chos islands and uh forcibly

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expelled the inhabitants from those

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islands most of them moved to Marius

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some of them came to the UK um the sad

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aspect is that their human rights

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weren't recognized in that process of

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expulsion and uh they were persuaded to

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expel them on the basis that they were

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contract laborers that's how they

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explained it to the world against um

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against the facts really uh I think it's

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a d indictment that the UK government

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persuaded the UK Parliament that these

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people were not indigenous peoples it

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was a labor government too by the way it

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was Harold Wilson who authorized the

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expulsion indeed and they also persuaded

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the UN that they weren't indigenous

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peoples either so um a real breach of

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Human Rights and that fundamentally I

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think is the issue and the people have

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never accepted it the people of chos the

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chians have never accepted it and why

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should they uh I think they're quite

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right to fight for their cause quite

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right to fight for their islands and

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quite right to fight for the right to

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return there and reestablish themselves

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as a viable Community now the uh

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Parliament uh is debating it thanks to

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you and your party the SNP

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congratulations on that on Wednesday uh

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what's going to be said as it were from

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your front bench and what's the

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government likely to reply I think uh I

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I should say first of all that it's not

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just about the asmp I'm taking this

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forward under the offices of the all

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party parliamentary group on the chos

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islands that's one of the few allp party

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parliamentary groups in the UK in the UK

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Parliament that has full cross-party

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representation so it's not just asmp it

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is every single political party at uh

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Westminster what we want to do on

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Wednesday uh at the Westminster Hall

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debate is um Force the UK government

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through the minister for the foreign

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office to come to the table to answer

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the questions about what is happening

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with the chos Islanders and there are a

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number of specific issues that we want

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to highlight and discuss perhaps Chief

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among them is the fact that next year

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2016 the UK government will be

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renegotiating the lease of Diego Garcia

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which is the military base uh in the

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Indian ter Indian uh Oceanic territory

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that is leased uh by the UK to the

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American government so that lease is

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going to be getting

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renegotiated that I think prompts a

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debate about resettlement of the islands

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and under what terms that lease might be

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renewed uh so it's also the case that um

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uh imminently the Supreme Court in the

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UK will be making a judgment on the

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right of the chians to return to the

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Ireland that's imminent as I say it's

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looking very likely that the UK Supreme

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Court will rule in favor of the chians

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and again that will force the UK

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government's hand in terms of

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implementing a program of resettlement

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it's almost surreal uh that uh Harold

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Wilson whom I must say great admired uh

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would have done such a thing to please

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the United States if you take a proper

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look at the history of this whole

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debacle um it seems that uh the UK

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government at the time under Harold

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Wilson's leadership was put under

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significant pressure to engage with uh

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the US government and there is some

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suggestion that uh in leasing uh the

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chos islands to the UK government to the

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US government sorry that um the UK

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received a discount on nuclear weapons

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at the time that's certainly been said

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uh another theory I have is that Wilson

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was refusing us uh um requests to join

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the war in Vietnam and to support the

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Americans in the war in Vietnam Wilson

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resisted that and some say that his

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flexibility towards the US on the chos

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islands was in a sense a quid Broku

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either way it's entirely shameful

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not sure which of these two would be the

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most uh shameful and it's time for the

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British government to to do the right

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thing isn't it I mean far from being

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contract laborers uh these were an

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indigenous people and Ben Fogle sitting

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exactly where you are now describe to us

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how their houses are still there I mean

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practically the salt and pepper still on

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their uh their tables they were

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literally ethnically cleansed and in

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addition to that the the phenomenon of

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Rich jet Setters who can afford to visit

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these islands these remote Islands they

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p in uh in the chos and and instead of

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putting their tents up or sleeping on

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board the yacht they sleep in the houses

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of the chians who've been uh been Chas

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away that must be a big insult for the

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josian both in maius and those residing

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here yeah I think you ABS I think the

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chians have been insulted many times

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over the last 50 years uh as George says

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it is absolutely at the point now where

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the UK mention should be accepting

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responsibility for the uh the uh the

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actions of previous UK governments and

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starting to put things right we're at

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that pivotal point now I think where

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there are several aspects coming

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together that suggest that the time is

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now appropriate to be discharging fully

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the uh the human rights of the chians

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and uh uh facilitating a viable

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resettlement on those islands uh for the

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for the people and their future well I

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tell you what we agreed with Ben Fogle

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the famous television personality and

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very big on this issue we agreed on our

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show that if the British government

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doesn't do the right thing at this pivot

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this 2016 pivot we're going to get

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ourselves somehow a big beautiful boat

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with white sales and we're all going to

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get on S out there and we're going to

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sail out there with the chosan people

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and uh and take it back who's going to

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shoot us down well well nobody I think

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because they are actually British yeah

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they've got

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their they are UK citizens absolutely

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you're quite right and I think you know

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you're talking about the yachting

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industry it's entirely unregulated if

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you've got enough money you can go to

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the chos islands um so you know the

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suggestion that the chos islands can't

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be or shouldn't be used for visitors or

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tourism things like that I mean it's

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just for environmental reasons it's a

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policy yes that was another of the

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canards more recently drawn out that uh

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oh we can't have people there because

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it's a sanctuary for all kinds of

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Wildlife and and uh flora and uh and for

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never mind the people who are stuck in

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Crawley under the flight path of the

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airplanes in uh in Gatwick um how are

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you finding you come from the third

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sector how are you finding your time in

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Parliament uh it's probably quite a

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cultural shock uh coming into what is

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the oldest and and best club in London

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as they say uh I think the UK Parliament

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is an interesting place you were

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obviously there for many many years it's

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not somewhere that I feel particularly

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comfortable to be honest I think um you

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know as a a Scottish national party

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Member of Parliament you know we clearly

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have an objective which is to make the

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voice of Scotland heard in that place

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it's uh to make sure that the people of

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Scotland have access to Equitable and

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fair policies that clearly spills over

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into other peoples not least the chos

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islands so I think you know um the

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plight of the chians is very much uh

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something that's in my mind mind and

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several of my colleagues um not least

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because it links back to some aspects of

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the history of my particular

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constituency which is Ki n Southern

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London Easter Ross which was the area uh

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where we uh cleed we we were cleansed

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abs for cleans for sheep during the

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cences absolutely I made mention of my

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uh made mention of that in my maiden

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speech I linked it to the

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josian interestingly that prompted uh

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quite a lot of correspondence from

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academic around the world who had been

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doing research on the chians and their

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right to return to their Islands um and

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I was very pleased to receive all of

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that corresponds I think that what that

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shows is that you know uh we're not

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dealing with some secret here we are

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dealing with an issue that is um

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renowned it's obvious uh it reflects

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very badly on the UK government people

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know that it reflects very badly in the

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UK government it stands in stark

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contrast to everything that we hear hear

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them say about the importance of Human

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Rights particularly at this time when

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they are and they have been for many

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years it completely overriding and

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ignoring the human rights of the people

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from these islands well I know that you

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know you're a you're a a

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highly intelligent and educated man but

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the longer you sit in the British

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Parliament the more you'll realize that

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what they say and what they do are two

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entirely absolutely different things Dr

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Paul thanks for coming on board thank

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you thank you coming up next they laid

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out the red carpet for this week's

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visitor and even the white side and

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Tails China stay

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tuned welcome back to Sputnik Wild

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Horses couldn't have got Jeremy Corbin

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into a white tie and Tails but the state

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banquet held by the queen for president

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xiin ping of the People's Republic of

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China did the visit was a great success

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despite some Noises Off it seemed to

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open a bridge rare indeed between

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Britain and the US and finally brought

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Mr Corbin face to face with her majesty

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not bad for a few days work joining us

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00:11:42,639 --> 00:11:47,560
now to discuss its significance is our

275
00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:49,560
resident China expert Keith Bennett

276
00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:52,360
Keith thanks for coming back on board

277
00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:54,480
the Sputnik the visit seemed to have

278
00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:58,079
been a great success we'll come to that

279
00:11:54,480 --> 00:12:01,560
in a minute but much of the discourse of

280
00:11:58,079 --> 00:12:04,160
the liberal media media was around the

281
00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:06,680
issue of Human Rights and Simon Jenkins

282
00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:09,760
in the guardian uh Amplified by me I

283
00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:11,760
think on Twitter uh raised the question

284
00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:14,600
what if the Chinese had raised human

285
00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:16,600
rights with us there's a tremendous

286
00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:20,959
hypocrisy in the media on this question

287
00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:22,760
no AB absolutely and uh I think it went

288
00:12:20,959 --> 00:12:25,519
right through the the media if you

289
00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:28,560
looked at the way ITN reported it on the

290
00:12:25,519 --> 00:12:30,760
news at 10 the way the BBC uh phras

291
00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:34,760
phrased its question uh uh to the

292
00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:36,560
president and of course the China is not

293
00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:39,720
the country that that's engaged in in

294
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:41,440
Wars around the world uh and and it

295
00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,160
would indeed have a lot to say about

296
00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,279
human rights in in Britain if it so

297
00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:47,199
chose human rights in Britain and human

298
00:12:45,279 --> 00:12:49,720
rights in the countries that Britain is

299
00:12:47,199 --> 00:12:53,160
closest to Saudi Arabia for example

300
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:55,959
which is armed entirely now almost by

301
00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:59,800
David Cameron by the British uh State

302
00:12:55,959 --> 00:13:02,399
and a long line of uh of others equally

303
00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:04,959
they gave amazing prominence certainly

304
00:13:02,399 --> 00:13:07,320
on the BBC World which we were watching

305
00:13:04,959 --> 00:13:10,519
CU we were out of the country ourselves

306
00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:13,399
during it to demonstrations of a few

307
00:13:10,519 --> 00:13:15,800
dozen people we can have a 100,000

308
00:13:13,399 --> 00:13:19,040
people in Trafalgar Square and not make

309
00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:22,199
the news Well a few dozen protesters on

310
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:25,199
Tibet or whatever uh were given endless

311
00:13:22,199 --> 00:13:27,279
coverage in the British media yes and I

312
00:13:25,199 --> 00:13:28,959
think that was in in stark contrast to

313
00:13:27,279 --> 00:13:30,600
the way the government wanted to play

314
00:13:28,959 --> 00:13:34,600
the the visit for whatever reason and it

315
00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:37,320
was not and it was notable how much the

316
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,800
um the handful of protesters were

317
00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,920
drowned out by the many hundreds and

318
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,959
indeed thousands of of Chinese people

319
00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:46,800
and and some others who came along to

320
00:13:43,959 --> 00:13:48,800
welcome uh president XI Jin ping of

321
00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:52,040
course that was said to be uh an

322
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:55,199
organized um activity as opposed to the

323
00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:57,800
other which was clearly presumably not

324
00:13:55,199 --> 00:14:00,839
organized uh but even if it was even if

325
00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:02,519
it was organized uh which it was like

326
00:14:00,839 --> 00:14:05,040
like the overwhelming majority of

327
00:14:02,519 --> 00:14:07,759
protests or or public events are it

328
00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:09,600
nevertheless reflected the fact that um

329
00:14:07,759 --> 00:14:11,040
Chinese people on the whole feel

330
00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,800
extremely proud of their country and

331
00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:17,480
what it's achieved the United States

332
00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:19,639
media were indicating in some cases

333
00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:22,920
explicitly that Britain appeared to be

334
00:14:19,639 --> 00:14:25,240
taking a different line towards China uh

335
00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,160
to that of the United States is there

336
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:29,519
anything in that I think that's very

337
00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:30,959
clear if you look at the mood music that

338
00:14:29,519 --> 00:14:32,839
the British government went to

339
00:14:30,959 --> 00:14:36,240
considerable length to to put on for the

340
00:14:32,839 --> 00:14:37,959
visit it was very different from the uh

341
00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,759
the visit that shi jimping made to the

342
00:14:37,959 --> 00:14:43,079
United States a few weeks ago where

343
00:14:39,759 --> 00:14:45,279
Barack Obama was openly talking almost

344
00:14:43,079 --> 00:14:47,480
before uh almost on the eve of XI

345
00:14:45,279 --> 00:14:49,320
jinping's arrival about the possibility

346
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,800
of putting more sanctions on China over

347
00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:54,759
so-called cyber warfare issues or or or

348
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:56,399
cyber cyber Espionage uh with Britain

349
00:14:54,759 --> 00:14:59,079
there was with the British government

350
00:14:56,399 --> 00:15:01,320
there was there was no such uh no such

351
00:14:59,079 --> 00:15:03,399
policy I think the the breach or the

352
00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,240
difference in approach was there for for

353
00:15:03,399 --> 00:15:08,480
some time with for example if you take

354
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:11,240
the Chinese Telecom giant hwe who have

355
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:13,279
been systematically kept out of the US

356
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,680
market yet they've been welcomed with

357
00:15:13,279 --> 00:15:16,360
open arms in Britain to have their

358
00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,360
research and development center here

359
00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,839
their European headquarters and so on

360
00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:23,399
and the biggest sign of that was of

361
00:15:19,839 --> 00:15:26,279
course when Britain uh became the first

362
00:15:23,399 --> 00:15:28,079
major Western power to uh apply to

363
00:15:26,279 --> 00:15:29,639
become a full member of the Asian the

364
00:15:28,079 --> 00:15:31,839
Chinese Le Asian infrastructure

365
00:15:29,639 --> 00:15:34,160
Investment Bank which in turn opened the

366
00:15:31,839 --> 00:15:36,399
floodgates for a large number of other

367
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:39,480
Western countries including all of the

368
00:15:36,399 --> 00:15:42,319
G7 Powers with the exception of uh the

369
00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,839
United States and Canada and Japan and

370
00:15:42,319 --> 00:15:45,759
Canada may of course well change its

371
00:15:43,839 --> 00:15:49,720
mind now after the election there this

372
00:15:45,759 --> 00:15:53,399
week do you think this breach is based

373
00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:55,880
in anything other than money or is it uh

374
00:15:53,399 --> 00:15:57,160
is it the money talking I think from the

375
00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,600
point of view of the conservative

376
00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:03,519
government it's the money talking

377
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:06,160
uh but I think that uh Britain has at

378
00:16:03,519 --> 00:16:07,680
least since the end of the second world

379
00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,399
war or perhaps you can say for most of

380
00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:12,759
the 20th century uh punched above its

381
00:16:10,399 --> 00:16:15,360
weight in in the international Arena now

382
00:16:12,759 --> 00:16:17,480
it did that through a a basic uh

383
00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:20,279
strategy of the so-called special

384
00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:23,440
relationship uh that by clinging to the

385
00:16:20,279 --> 00:16:25,560
coattails of the United States it it

386
00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,440
would it would actually mask its

387
00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:29,160
relative decline in in international

388
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,199
power and I'm sure there are some some

389
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:33,160
people in Britain who are looking at the

390
00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:35,040
fact that relatively speaking the United

391
00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:37,319
States is now a declining power China is

392
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,600
a rising power and some who would want

393
00:16:37,319 --> 00:16:41,199
to

394
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:44,199
um uh to actually ride on those

395
00:16:41,199 --> 00:16:46,600
coattails as well in economic terms

396
00:16:44,199 --> 00:16:48,120
whilst Britain uh recognized the

397
00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:52,120
People's Republic of China before the

398
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:56,040
United States did and uh and not

399
00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:59,880
withstanding the enormous abscess of the

400
00:16:56,040 --> 00:17:03,000
Hong Kong uh question has deed under

401
00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:05,319
governments of both types in Britain to

402
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:08,559
uh not want the kind of confrontation

403
00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:11,559
with China that many in the US the Hawks

404
00:17:08,559 --> 00:17:13,240
especially in the US seem to want yeah

405
00:17:11,559 --> 00:17:15,360
of course it was the Atley government

406
00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,839
that opened the first diplomatic

407
00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:19,199
relations at Consular level with the

408
00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:21,360
People's Republic in back in 1950s

409
00:17:19,199 --> 00:17:23,720
Britain was the first Western power to

410
00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:26,319
open diplomatic relations with the with

411
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,919
the People's Republic ironically the

412
00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:30,440
existence of Hong Kong impelled that

413
00:17:28,919 --> 00:17:31,640
because the existence of Hong Kong meant

414
00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,679
that we had to have some kind of

415
00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,720
relationship with China whether we liked

416
00:17:33,679 --> 00:17:39,600
it or

417
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:44,480
not indeed uh and so happy days between

418
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:47,600
Britain and China uh the United States

419
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:50,919
unhappy about it all of that sounds like

420
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,880
uh something to welcome did most people

421
00:17:50,919 --> 00:17:56,159
most Progressive people welcome it or is

422
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:59,000
there still this residual resentment

423
00:17:56,159 --> 00:18:02,760
about China which looks for issues Tibet

424
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:06,640
or uh the Fang the the how do you say it

425
00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:10,520
the uh Phong Fong gong Chinese uh

426
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:13,159
repression of this cult and so on um are

427
00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:16,159
these residual

428
00:18:13,159 --> 00:18:17,960
irritations uh still holding back

429
00:18:16,159 --> 00:18:19,640
Progressive people in Britain

430
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,280
identifying with China I think there's a

431
00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,640
huge job still to be done to get

432
00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:26,360
basically Progressive minded people in

433
00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:28,799
Britain to to understand what what's

434
00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:31,440
happening in China ironically I think

435
00:18:28,799 --> 00:18:33,679
people like George Osborne um get it a

436
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,080
lot better than many Progressive people

437
00:18:33,679 --> 00:18:37,000
because they're simply looking at it

438
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:41,640
from from an economic or you can say a

439
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:43,919
melist uh uh point of view uh there's a

440
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:45,600
great deal to be done I hope that Jeremy

441
00:18:43,919 --> 00:18:48,559
Corbin's meeting with the with the

442
00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:51,520
president has begun a process of of a of

443
00:18:48,559 --> 00:18:54,000
a of a better dialogue uh between the

444
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:56,200
left in Britain and and the Chinese but

445
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,720
China like every country in the world

446
00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,400
obviously has its problems but it also

447
00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,679
has a very good story

448
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,480
uh to tell if people are on the left

449
00:19:01,679 --> 00:19:06,360
they should be um they should care about

450
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,360
people being lifted out of poverty and

451
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:10,520
the Improvement of people's life chances

452
00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:12,760
I think first and foremost China Has

453
00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,679
Lifted well over half a billion people

454
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:19,840
out of poverty uh over the last three

455
00:19:15,679 --> 00:19:22,159
decades uh you can't think about poverty

456
00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:25,840
alleviation in today's world without

457
00:19:22,159 --> 00:19:28,200
looking without looking at China uh a a

458
00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:30,360
Chinese woman lives more than 10 years

459
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:33,440
longer than than an Indian woman these

460
00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:35,840
are real human rights uh achievements

461
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:38,360
well parallel to this um what you

462
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:41,720
suggest continued negative image of

463
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:44,480
China more and more um for example

464
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:46,159
Chinese language is being offered at

465
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,240
schools as a third or even second

466
00:19:46,159 --> 00:19:51,000
language indeed nurseries we are looking

467
00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:54,039
ourselves at nurses that are providing

468
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,240
bilingual education to children as young

469
00:19:54,039 --> 00:19:57,919
as two years

470
00:19:55,240 --> 00:20:00,159
old yes and China itself has put a lot

471
00:19:57,919 --> 00:20:03,120
of money into to not only confucious

472
00:20:00,159 --> 00:20:06,080
institutes in in higher education but

473
00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:08,480
confucious classrooms in schools uh and

474
00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:10,760
even and even primary schools but I

475
00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:13,480
think we've got a long a long way to to

476
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,960
go uh until we catch up with for example

477
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,559
Australia which has a much better record

478
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:19,600
on Chinese language teaching that that

479
00:20:17,559 --> 00:20:22,400
we do and for that we also need to

480
00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,559
improve the improve the teaching of

481
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:27,280
Chinese and Chinese studies in British

482
00:20:24,559 --> 00:20:30,240
uh tertiary education because you can't

483
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,919
actually teach Chinese to children

484
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:33,480
unless you have the qualified teachers

485
00:20:31,919 --> 00:20:35,760
and of course some of them can come to

486
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:38,840
come from China as well let's look at

487
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:42,120
the uh State visit then in more detail

488
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:44,720
uh what would you say were the primary

489
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:47,360
achievements of the visit well I think

490
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:50,120
the primary achievements are probably in

491
00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:52,320
in the economy uh there's something like

492
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:55,440
uh 40 billion pounds worth of of

493
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:58,039
business and investment deals uh that uh

494
00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:03,360
inward investment into Britain basically

495
00:20:58,039 --> 00:21:05,320
yes uh and also the the Chinese currency

496
00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,600
the renm be is becoming an increasingly

497
00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,520
internationally traded and

498
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,880
internationally used currency although

499
00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,120
of course still way behind the dollar

500
00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:16,679
for now uh but Britain will be the main

501
00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:18,960
center for the main external Center for

502
00:21:16,679 --> 00:21:21,360
trading in in Chinese currency apart

503
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:24,000
from Hong Kong and Singapore the London

504
00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:26,360
Metal Exchange has signed an agreement

505
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,559
uh to um where China will have more

506
00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:31,880
influence on the pricing of of Comm

507
00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:34,799
ities and so on well of course the day

508
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:38,679
will come I hope we both live long

509
00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:41,440
enough to see it where China's political

510
00:21:38,679 --> 00:21:44,400
weight in the world will be commensurate

511
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:46,000
with its economic weight already

512
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,799
established as the main economy the

513
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,679
biggest economy in the world its

514
00:21:47,799 --> 00:21:54,159
military weight its geostrategic uh

515
00:21:50,679 --> 00:21:56,799
weight uh China will begin to assert

516
00:21:54,159 --> 00:21:59,480
itself a little more clearly in

517
00:21:56,799 --> 00:22:02,360
political Affairs Russia which is of

518
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:04,960
course also a great power is now a big

519
00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:06,600
factor in international Affairs nothing

520
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,159
can happen in the Middle East now for

521
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:11,440
example without Russian uh agreement

522
00:22:09,159 --> 00:22:16,080
without engagement with Russia when do

523
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:19,440
you see that day coming well I think

524
00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:21,320
it's Mark said once that there are there

525
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,240
are years in which nothing appears to

526
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,279
happen and then there are days into

527
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,960
which the events of years are compressed

528
00:22:25,279 --> 00:22:29,039
and I think that's how we'll see China's

529
00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:31,360
rise on on the international diplomatic

530
00:22:29,039 --> 00:22:33,559
stage and it's already happening uh to

531
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:36,159
to a great extent I was in China last

532
00:22:33,559 --> 00:22:37,760
week and there was something which I'm

533
00:22:36,159 --> 00:22:40,080
guessing was not really reported in the

534
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,520
media here but they had an a they had a

535
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:45,240
conference of Asian political parties in

536
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:47,240
Beijing on what president xiin pink

537
00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:50,159
calls the one belt one road initiative

538
00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:52,600
this is to to create a new silk route to

539
00:22:50,159 --> 00:22:55,480
tie in the economies of of China and

540
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:57,240
South Asia and Central Asia and uh

541
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,799
Russia and and through through to

542
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:02,279
Western Europe and had several hundred

543
00:22:59,799 --> 00:23:06,039
delegates representing over 60 political

544
00:23:02,279 --> 00:23:08,080
parties there uh major government

545
00:23:06,039 --> 00:23:09,520
parties and major opposition parties

546
00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,080
some of the delegations led by

547
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,960
presidents and prime ministers others by

548
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:16,480
past pres presidents and doubtless

549
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:20,400
future ones too that was immediately

550
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:22,360
followed by a global Summit on poverty

551
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,200
reduction which brought people out the

552
00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:26,840
vice president of Bolivia the minister

553
00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:29,840
for land reform of of South Africa so

554
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:32,000
China's having a hugely active uh

555
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:34,320
diplomatic presence it's not just the

556
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:37,600
state visit to the UK but basically none

557
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:39,240
of this is covered in the uh UK media

558
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,720
you mentioned Russia of course and I

559
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:43,159
think what's important is that there's a

560
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,520
certain division of labor between Russia

561
00:23:43,159 --> 00:23:47,200
and China based on on their particular

562
00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,360
interests and where exactly they find

563
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,600
themselves in the world but if you look

564
00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:53,640
at the proceedings of the UN Security

565
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:56,000
Council basically the two the two

566
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:58,480
coordinate their positions on nearly all

567
00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,520
the the major International uh events

568
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,880
and of course we saw with the two big

569
00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:05,480
military parades first in in Moscow in

570
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,880
May and Beijing in September where you

571
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,320
had contingence of the armies of the two

572
00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,039
countries marching in each other's

573
00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:13,679
capitals something that's never happened

574
00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:15,210
before fascinating Keith Bennett thank

575
00:24:13,679 --> 00:24:17,080
you very

576
00:24:15,210 --> 00:24:19,559
[Music]

577
00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,480
much and now it's your turn to tell us

578
00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:24,840
what you think through the portals of

579
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:27,159
social media what's rling G well I asked

580
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:30,360
um whether the queen was right to Red

581
00:24:27,159 --> 00:24:32,760
Carpet uh the Chinese president and

582
00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:34,799
Connor MC Jorge says the only thing they

583
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:36,640
are interested in is their money they

584
00:24:34,799 --> 00:24:40,080
will turn a blind eye to their slave

585
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:42,679
trade in harsh ways akib Mahmud follows

586
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:44,880
saying red carpet our government is so

587
00:24:42,679 --> 00:24:48,320
desperate for Chinese money I'm surpris

588
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:51,120
she didn't pole dance for him that's

589
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:54,320
that's a bit rude a bit lessy Majesty we

590
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:57,039
disassociate ourselves from that but

591
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:59,000
nonetheless as Keith Bennett very

592
00:24:57,039 --> 00:25:01,679
clearly laid out

593
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,480
the motivations particularly of George

594
00:25:01,679 --> 00:25:05,840
Osborne who is being particularly

595
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:08,200
farsighted in this regard interesting

596
00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:12,120
overruling overriding the foreign office

597
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:15,679
and even David Cameron uh he realizes

598
00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:18,760
that the sun is rising in the East and

599
00:25:15,679 --> 00:25:21,919
setting in the west and if Britain wants

600
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:23,679
a future it has to have good relations

601
00:25:21,919 --> 00:25:25,720
with the East it's a pity they haven't

602
00:25:23,679 --> 00:25:27,720
caught up yet with the importance of

603
00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,840
Russia well that's all that we've got

604
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,440
time for this we which alas means that's

605
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,440
the end of the show you can stay in

606
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:36,799
touch with us on Twitter at rtor Sputnik

607
00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,919
and on Facebook Sputnik on Russia today

608
00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:43,559
it's goodbye from me gatri and from me

609
00:25:38,919 --> 00:25:43,559
George Galloway it's been marvelous

610
00:25:47,090 --> 00:25:50,160
[Music]