Why not to invite the minister of justice as a speaker

Wu Aiying

At our speakers' bureau we try to advise clients as good as possible who to invite for a key note speech, seminar or otherwise. Here I want to discuss a recent case, since it points at some wrong perceptions when foreign clients look at China.
When one of our clients at Chinabiz Speakers told me recently he had invited the Chinese minister of justice Wu Aiying for a key note speech, at least three alarm bells started to go off. It was not only because I had never heard her name before, but because our foreign clients often are not familiar with the huge differences between their and Chinese administrations.
Already before he had ended his explanation, one of my worries was confirmed. Madame Wu had politely refused to give a key note speech. There are some good sites, like China Vitae, to check the backgrounds of the higher cadres. When they would have done so, they would have noticed that since she got her post, Madame Wu has nowhere been seen, not outside China, not inside China. The chances of getting such an official for a key note speech seemed pretty slim. Also, I could not find her back in any of the major Chinese media.
There were other reasons too. In most European countries ministers a relatively high officials, often directly involved in governing their country, sometimes even in charge of police forces. In China ministers - a bit depending on what ministry they head - operate on a much lower level. The real administration is done by the State Council and ministers are often care takers who are not supposed to take on a really high profile. There are exceptions, but the ministry of justice - although important - cannot be compared with similar ministries in Europe.
In the unlikely case a minister would accept an invitation for a key note speech, the chances of them really making statements or adding to an ongoing discussion is rather slim. Partly because their position in the administration is rather low, compared to their foreign colleagues, it would be unlikely they would say anything remotely interesting.
Picking a good speaker is not an easy job. When you get in touch with us on a timely basis, we are happy to provide you with good advise.