Sme commentator Soňa Jánošová. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Anyone capable of counting to five must have goosebumps at the very sight of our happy Prime Minister Robert Fico in China. Some "minor concerns" are in order as to whether a strategic partnership with a country that values neither the property nor the lives of its own citizens will be fair to a tiny country that is roughly equivalent in size to a third-tier Chinese city.
When we look at what Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová learned from China, cold sweat should begin to run down our spines. Witnessing pictures of Slovak ministers and the prime minister posing with pioneers, it is fairly clear that this is not just about business.
But let's take it slowly.
Taking to social media, Šimkovičová bragged about China introducing 15-day visa-free travel for Slovaks. The minister is looking forward to it, because it will lead to the simplification of the travel of Slovak art groups to China.
A trip to China by the Lúčnica folklore ensemble or the SND Opera is not a real form of support for culture. In the best case, it is a presentation of the best that Slovakia has to offer and a trip for the artists. Perhaps it will bring contracts for individuals, but it is hardly possible to speak of any influence on the development of Slovakia's cultural infrastructure.
The signing of the spectacular cultural cooperation programme between Slovakia and the People's Republic of China for the period of 2025-2029 is much, much worse.
