Here is the text of an email Jancis Robinson received on March 20th which its sender, the founder of China's biggest wine importing compant ASC would like her to publish. It's no picnic out there in the Wild East, but then everyone is working on the assumption that the stakes are extremely high.

Dear Jancis,

It was very nice to see you in Shanghai earlier this month at the Room to Read fundraiser.  I didn’t expect to be in touch again so soon, but seeing Simon Tam’s article on your website, which contains serious errors of fact, has compelled me to write. 

Simon’s journalism is irresponsible, at best with this article, he spreads unsubstantiated rumour, blowing up out of all proportion what is merely a routine inquiry.   

The words of the great American storyteller, Gertrude Stein can best sum up this situation: ‘There is no there, there.’

To rely almost solely upon rumour and innuendo really does call into question Simon’s reporting standards and motivation. 

Specifically, Simon’s allegations of a ‘5 million euro fine’ and ‘deportation of top executives’ is simply not true. I know because I was face to face with the Customs people from the beginning of the inquiry. If Simon knew anything about how Customs operate, he would know that, except for cases of restricted goods like drugs or very serious smuggling, their intention is never to deport businessmen, fine them amounts that would put them out of business or do anything to harm their primary function, which is revenue collecting.  

The alleged value of ASC’s imported wine declarations under review is approximately RMB 2 million, or 180,000 euros (less than one day sales at ASC). In plain American talk that’s called ‘peanuts’. 

What is particularly distressing is that Simon called me to discuss the issue prior to issuing his article but neglected to specifically address the above issues with me. I told him what was really happening, that it was a routine investigation of ALL Wine Importers throughout China by the Customs authorities and no big deal. He could have easily sought truth from fact but instead decided to peddle rumors. In China we call this ‘red eye disease’ and in America, ‘jealousy’. 

As to Simon himself, a possible motivation is that he planned on conducting WSET courses in the Chinese mainland but has had to abandon that idea given ASC’s success with the program.  

Simon’s article really does fall into the category of an ‘industry hit job’. 

One question you will be sure to ask, is ‘what about Don Jr?’. The answer is, he is being questioned, not charged or arrested, by Customs officials as are five or six other industry executives.  And, I have believable assurances he will be back in his office in a few days and this saga will go the way of many other China sagas I have endured in my 22 years here. FORGOTTEN.

With the very best regards,

Don St Pierre, Sr

Copyright: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/

 

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