It’s a shockingly impressive economic mutant, but a mutating mutant nevertheless. With Capitalism and Communism so lovingly entangled into intoxicating success, Hayek, and Marx, Keynes and Adams, Ricardo and the others have all been vindicated while simultaneously laid to rest.

China is an incredible patch of earth, inundated with spectacular and diverse natural attributes, deeply rooted in an ancient civilisation that left an indelible mark on  the development of humankind. It has once again firmly positioned itself on the forefront of the global stage and is currently hailed as the world's 'economic miracle'.

It is surprisingly courted by all and sundry as the  potential fountain of  imaginary selfless benevolence, while it behaves like the cold calculating strategist that it really is.

Frankly , I'm baffled  not by China's behaviour, but by those nations which act as if they believe in any benevolence from this great but harsh and brutal state. For benevolence cannot be forthcoming from an authoritarian government which does not uphold the universality of basic Human Rights for its own people. China 2014 still knows no freedom of speech, no freedom of religion, no freedom of assembly, just to mention but a few of the festering wounds that plague this nation.

And China is scrambling for Europe (and Africa and US and everywhere else for that matter), while many cash strapped European  countries are scrambling for Chinese investment  as a final ditch at establishing  a platform that can potentially lift them out of their financial woes.

China is also building up its military and naval prowess and making its presence felt as necessary, when necessary. It is a super power, and the Renminbi is on the fast track to becoming a super currency, rivalling the celebrated American dollar.

So far so good. Hats raised to our Titan friend. We wish China and the Chinese well indeed , we are very happy to welcome their investments,  while , for their sake, we look forward to the day when the martyrs of Tiannamen Square can be openly commemorated...

And while this unbridled mitoses was materialising in the fascinating giant, the miniscule economy of our little islands was  bravely weathering a  global financial crisis  of unprecedented proportions , that brought other  proud sovereign nations to their knees.

These same tiny islands  are now economically flourishing to the extent that our unemployment is disappearing, our competitiveness is remarkable and investment is pouring in steadily. According to our government’s repeated pronouncements we are not cash strapped, definitely not desperate...  and we are doing very well, indeed.

But alas, we have an Achilles Heel, known to all, even to our friends the Chinese. We have an energy hungry  growing economy,  a very thirsty country, the water supply of which is heavily dependent on  energy generation, and a bankrupt  maladministered , monopolistic energy corporation  to take care of all this.

Enemalta has close to a billion euros in debts, and close to a billion euros worth in fixed assets (property). There has been no serious attempt at overhauling the corporation, and yet 30 million on annual theft have already been clamped upon, while it is common knowledge that 10% of energy consumption is unaccounted for, the cost of which obviously   runs into a few more millions, and which also means that there are more savings to be made. We also have a brand new power plant that can be converted to gas, and a cable interconnector with the European Grid that will save Enemalta millions when it starts functioning, and the highly inefficient, polluting Marsa power plant is shut down. We also have the real possibility of a hefty financing package from the EU to construct a gas pipeline that will connect us to the European gas network. 

In full view of this grim but certainly not hopeless scenario, a very low interest, property secured loan from our benevolent Chinese friends  to refinance our not so low interest loan that covers Enemalta's  government guaranteed debts,  sale of the profit making Petroleum Division to cut down the debt load , together with a serious attempt at clean responsible administration of the corporation and reorganisation of the workforce, and/or outright liquidation of all dispensable property, might have saved us the alleged necessity to divest of our brand new BWSC power generating plant and 33% of our only electricity generating and distributing corporation on the island. 

We remain dependent on Enemalta or whatever subsidiary companies are created, for our power supply which is what fuels our economy. We are not sure whether it’s going to be our people manning the power plants or imported workers, since conflicting statements regarding Enemalta ' s workers 'new pay and conditions are leaving many baffled and demotivated. Our Enemalta workers have ensured a relatively continuous power supply to the islands notwithstanding the ancient power plant that is Marsa and the introduction of the new power station. They work for money but above all its loyalty to their nation and country and a sense of pride that drives them.

If all our trained  manpower is scattered around and left to de-skill  while we watch this crucial sector slip out of our hands from an on the ground practical  operational perspective, we will become a pawn in the giant's hands for obvious reasons.

It is very strange how the vociferous GWU , up till recently so adamant about shifts and collective agreements,  has  suddenly lost its voice , just when Enemalta workers need it most. Could it possibly be in the Government's pockets? Is it true that it is leasing its newly acquired  Addolorata office block to Transport Malta for a hefty sum or is it all a fabrication of the local media gossip? Is it possible that it has sold its soul completely? In spite of the hearsay that is making the rounds, I find it very hard to believe that the GWU would sink this low, but till proper explanations are made, the doubt remains , and not only in my mind.

The same goes for our Government. The question that people keep asking is 'What  has this Government actually committed us to? What is it committing us to in the Memorandum of Understanding that is going to be signed next week in China that involves Health and Air Services among other things? Is the placation of Pawlu Pace ( MUMN) by the government a necessary move to  freely pave the way so that what is being done to Enemalta is doubled onto MDH  and Health Workers , as the PM hinted in one of his pre Mep election speeches'?

It’s really not a question of being judgemental because we don't know what to judge. It’s just a case where people where promised transparency and collective governance, and are now claiming what they were promised. They  /we just need to know the answers to these questions, after all as Ghandi liked to say:'

Truth never damages a cause that is just'.

It is indeed sad, that as the eminent Chinese political theorist Confucius used to say, ' life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated', in this case by depriving the populace from information that would put an end to unnecessary speculation. It is true that outwardly we might seem to be a happy go lucky nation, but we also know that our countrymen are not fools and are fully aware that the devil is the detail.