Charity Chief’s ‘Wretched Chinese’ Gaffe
The head of a prominent charity was at the centre of a race row last night, after he warned of a cultural take-over by “the wretched Chinese”.
Colin Tweedy startled Scotland’s corporate and arts leaders at an awards dinner when he hailed his guests as the power-brokers who could “send the Chinese packing”.
Mr Tweedy is the long-time chief executive of Arts & Business, a prestigious group helping to funnel millions of pounds in business sponsorship of the arts across the UK. Backers include the Prince of Wales.
One prominent guest called it a “George Bush-style gaffe”, while an incredulous Chinese embassy spokesman said: “Does he really think we can take over culture? It’s not true that China is making all the products the UK used to make. Neither is it true to say China is taking over the UK’s commerce.
“There are also growing ties in both directions – economic, commercial and cultural – between Scotland and China.”
Mr Tweedy was speaking at the annual awards dinner for A&B Scotland to recognise the top partnerships between companies and arts groups.
Speaking before the dinner at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre on Wednesday, Mr Tweedy said Gordon Brown had estimated that within ten years, 50 per cent of the UK economy would be in the creative industries.
“My blood was chilled yesterday when I received an e-mail from the People’s Republic of China to invite me to a seminar in Beijing to say that the PRC is worried that they are not perhaps pre-eminent in culture and commerce in the world today,” Mr Tweedy said.
“We thought that the wretched Chinese would make all the products that we used to make, but the last thing we want them to do is actually take over our culture and commerce.
“But I think, ladies and gentlemen, you represent in this wonderful auditorium the power-brokers who will basically send the Chinese packing,” he continued. “I do apologise to any of our Chinese guests here tonight, but xenophobia always rules well.”
He remarks were greeted with gasps and nervous laughter from those present, including leaders of Scotland’s galleries, festivals and orchestras, along with a string of oil companies and banks, from Total E&P UK Ltd to Lloyds TSB Scotland. The Scottish minister for Europe, external affairs and culture, Linda Fabiani, was handing out the awards.
Christopher Richard, of the Pleasance, the Fringe veteran picking up an award for charity fundraising, noted that his own “wretched family” were sent packing from Scotland 400 years ago.
It was dismaying to find someone who ought to be speaking for “the new enlightenment” planning to oust the Chinese, he said. “There’s no work of art that doesn’t owe something to Chinese art.
“I think he offended most of the Scots in the audience.”
Mr Tweedy said later that the coming Beijing conference on culture and creativity showed China wasn’t content with being “the world producer of everything”.
“The view is that the US and Britain will still dominate the world of creativity. The whole creative industry could vanish if we don’t invest in them. To me, it’s a wake-up call,” he said.
John Wallace, the principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, said: “We’ve just taken 45 Chinese students. Without the Far East, classical music wouldn’t exist any more. There are 80 million piano players in China. It’s no longer a western culture; it’s a global culture.
“That was a George Bush gaffe,” he said.
BUSINESSMAN AND ARTS FAN
COLIN Tweedy has been chief executive of Arts & Business since 1983 and plays a role in many arts organisations.
He is chairman of CEREC (Comité Européen pour le Rapprochement de l’Economie et de la Culture), a director of the Oxford Stage Company and a trustee of the Serpentine Gallery in London. He established The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation, launched by Prince Charles to bring young people to culture and away from their TVs, through Arts & Business. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was made an OBE for services to business partnerships with the arts in the birthday honours list in June 2000.
