China attends workshop on human trafficking in the Vatican

For the second time, a Beijing official at Casina Pio IV to talk about organ transplants and Sino-Vatican contacts in the cultural and scientific field

Mar 15, 2018

By Iacopo Scaramuzzi
A 2-day (12/13 March) workshop on modern slavery, trafficking in human beings and access to justice for the poor and vulnerable, was also attended (and for the second time) by a Chinese official. The conference is the seventh meeting of the “Ethics in Action” initiative, which brings together a select group of religious leaders, theologians, academics, business and labor leaders, development practitioners, and activists to identify the values and ethics needed to advance concrete actions in response to these challenges.

Challenges that are summarized by the title of the various appointments: Poverty, deprivation, and social exclusion (Oct 31-Nov 1, 2016), The challenge of peace (Feb 2-3, 2017), Mass migration and the refugee crisis (May 25-26, 2017), Corporate Responsibility (Aug 21-22, 2017, Alpbach, Austria), Education (Oct 16-17, 2017), Environmental Justice (Dec 14-15, 2017), Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking & Access to Justice for the Poor & Vulnerable (12-13 March 2018), Indigenous Peoples (18-19 June 2018), Corruption (August 2018, Alpbach, Austria), Future of Work (29-30 Oct 2018) before the final meeting scheduled for 10-11 December.

These meetings are mostly hosted by Monsignor Marcelo Sanzhez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences, at Casina Pio IV in the Vatican Gardens, with the support of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Religions for Peace, and the University of Notre Dame.

Among the speakers, after the opening speeches delivered by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, “Foreign Minister” of the Holy See, the economist Jeffrey Sachs and Stefano Manservisi, Director General of the European Union for International Cooperation and Development, intervened Wang Haibo, Chinese official of the Ministry of Health who in 2017 had already attended a conference in the Vatican on organ trafficking together with Huang Jiefu, president of the Chinese National Committee for Organ Donation and Transplants.

The Global Times China announced this with an article published on Sunday on “exchanges that promote mutual respect” between China and the Holy See. The Global Times said late on Sunday that China “would present its efforts to combat organ trafficking and progress on organ donation and transplants at the conference”.

“China - Wang Haibo said - will call on joint efforts to eradicate organ trafficking, as it’s a global challenge”. China also expects to share its experience on promoting ethical and sustainable organ donation and transplants in countries along the Belt and Road initiative with a global task force proposed to the World Health Organization last year. More than 40 countries expressed interest and support for the effort.

In 2017, more than 5,100 deceased Chinese citizens had voluntarily agreed to donate their organs after death, saving, or improving the lives of more than 16,000 people, according to official data obtained by the Global Times on Sunday. China criminalized unauthorized trading of organs in 2011, a crime for which the death penalty can be handed down in severe cases”.

Wang also said that “exchanges between China and the Vatican reached beyond the health sector, and contact in cultural and scientific fields have brought the two sides closer. The Vatican’s passion and respect for Chinese culture could be strongly felt during the trips”, he said. “Relations between Beijing and the Vatican authorities are moving forward, so are relations between the two peoples,” said Huang Jiefu, former Chinese vice-minister of health and current head of the National Human Organ Donation and Transplant Committee”. According to Wang, “exchanges have helped address global challenges such as organ trafficking and climate change.”

“China and the Vatican - the Global Times concludes - have no diplomatic relations. Lately there has been widespread speculation the two sides are close to a consensus on the appointment of bishops in China, a positive sign for improving relations between Beijing and the Vatican”.--La Stampa

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