Sai Mizzi Liang made consul general in Shanghai in 2014

The government has announced that Sai Mizzi Liang, the wife of energy minister Konrad Mizzi, was appointed as Malta’s consul-general to Shanghai in 2014.

The official statement was made for the first time today, confirming that Mizzi Liang, originally appointed in 2013 as a trade envoy for Malta Enterprise, was now serving Malta’s diplomatic corps without any official announcement.

Although Mizzi Liang’s address as “consul general” is listed in a database on the official website for Shanghai – on the 11th floor of Magnolia Plaza at 777, Hongqiao Road – there is no similar listing on Malta’s own foreign ministry website.

In the summer of 2014, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat published Mizzi Liang’s contract in parliament after she accompanied the Maltese delegation in China – a rare public appearance that forced Muscat’s hand into explaining how much the minister’s wife was being paid for her Shanghai posting.

Originally her appointment as trade envoy was viewed controversially as a nepotistic gesture that put paid to Muscat’s ‘meritocracy’ battle-cry in the 2013 elections.

Earlier on Sunday, MaltaToday revealed that the government had inked a €2 million deal for a Shanghai property, ostensibly the new consulate-general there.

The acquisition was made on behalf of the ministry for foreign affairs, with the Shanghai Hui Jing Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.

The price for the property is 13,339,200 RMB – or €2.01 million. This newspaper is informed that the property has an area of 238 square metres, having sold at the princely sum of €8,445 per square metre.

The government said in its statement that Mizzi Liang’s appointment as consul-general was made after obtaining consent from the Chinese government.

“Her primary responsibility is to attract investment to Malta and carry out duties as consul-general,” the government said.

The government said Mizzi Liang assisted the foreign ministry in seeking out a new base for its Shanghai consulate.

The new office will be used to process visas for Chinese nationals wishing to t ravel to Malta, and will be equipped to be in conformity with Schengen rules.

PN reaction

The Opposition said news of the appointment had "confirmed how little the government cares for workers", in a statement coinciding with the eve of May Day.

"Mizzi Liang has so far been paid some €275,000 from people's taxes. Nobody knows what she has done so far, or where her office is. What workers are sure of is that while the minister's wife is paid from her taxes, they are getting just 58c a week in cost of living allowances. [Labour's] 'optimism' is surely not everybody's."

Controversial appointment

Details of her Mizzi Liang’s salary were only made public in July 2014, when she appeared by the side of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat during his visit to China.

An appeals board is yet to decide on MaltaToday’s freedom of information request for the contract and CV of both Sai Mizzi and Shiv Nair, the latter another trade envoy appointed by Malta Enterprise without any public call.

Together with a salary of more than €73,000 a year, more than half of which is non-taxable, Sai Mizzi also receives a representation allowance of €3,261 a year; a child allowance of almost €3,000 a year; a fully paid residence; an official car with fully paid expenses and fuel; and the full reimbursement of the use of her mobile phone.

She is also entitled for payment of private schooling for her children – up to €18,783 a year; a 90 per cent reimbursement of medical, dental, and ophthalmic care for all members of her family; a one-time settling-in and outfit allowance; and 15 free flight tickets between Malta and Beijing for all members of her family, 10 of them being business class.

The total amount per year works out at a little less than €160,000. Malta’s ambassador to China in Beijing, Clifford Borg Marks, is paid a €34,000 salary and €40,000 for his posting overseas.