Post by Yaw on Apr 15, 2004 15:37:04 GMT -5
So, from Yahoo News, here's the deal:
Now, what really gets me pissed off about this isn't just that China is overreaching its proper authority in trying to tell the Canadian government who they can and cannot speak with, but also that the comparison between Quebec and Tibet is completely out of line with reality.
The problem is simple. Quebec joined Canada as the result of a Confederation conference. That is, political leaders from Quebec sat down with those from the other provinces in the area at the time, and decided to join the new country. (Note that Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland at the time did not.) Compare this with China, which militarily annexed Tibet (as well as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia). In addition to that, Quebeqois separatist activities (that didn't involve terrorism, so this doesn't include the FLQ) have always been allowed in Canada. There are newspaper editorials on the subject dating back to the 1910s. There have been several referenda on the subject. Separatist leader Bouchard even visited France at one point to try to drum up support. The worst that can be said about the Canadian government is that they tried to manipulate public opinion through the sponsorship scandal. On the other hand, China responded to Tibet through violence, and continues to try to replace Tibetan culture with Chinese. While Canada never threatened to punish France over meeting with Bouchard, China is now threatening Canada over meeting with the Dalai Lama.
The simple fact is that meeting with a person does not imply signing on to their agenda. In putting its perception of face before Canadian freedoms of association, China comes off looking like it has no respect for the country it desires to do business with. The Chinese government also looks like a bunch of assholes for trying to prevent a meeting with a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Ultimately, this is a little diplomatic tiff of little moment. It does, however, reveal some things about the Chinese government that we should find disturbing.
China urges Canada to "rectify mistake' and cancel Dalai Lama visit
Thu Apr 15,10:17 AM ET
BEIJING (AFP) - China urged Canada to "rectify its mistake" and cancel plans to allow Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to visit the country.
"Against the bigger background of China and Canada relations developing, we think the Canadian government should not provide a stage and place of activity for a politician such as the Dalai Lama, who is engaged in activities to split the motherland," foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a regular briefing.
"So we hope the Canadian government will act from the overall interests of Sino-Canadian friendly relations, rectify its mistake and cancel the visit," he added.
Kong repeated China's position that the Dalai Lama "is not merely a religious figure" but a politician engaged in activities aimed at splitting the China.
The Dalai Lama, considered a living god by followers, will visit Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto from April 19 and May 5.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has agreed to meet him as a spiritual rather than a political leader, following heavy domestic pressure on members of parliament from Tibetan activists.
Martin will become the first Canadian head of government to meet the 1989 Nobel peace prize winner.
In a strongly worded statement issued by China's embassy in Canada to the Canadian government this week, China warned any such meeting would mean Canada was fanning separatism and making a "drastic departure" in policy on Tibet.
China considers the issue of Tibet central to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after an abortive uprising in 1959 and established a government-in-exile in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala.
He rejects Beijing's claims that he is a separatist, arguing he simply wants more autonomy for Tibet from the central government in Beijing.
China, which has occupied Tibet since 1951, has been accused of trying to wipe out its Buddhist-based culture through political and religious repression and a flood of ethnic Chinese immigration.
Thu Apr 15,10:17 AM ET
BEIJING (AFP) - China urged Canada to "rectify its mistake" and cancel plans to allow Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to visit the country.
"Against the bigger background of China and Canada relations developing, we think the Canadian government should not provide a stage and place of activity for a politician such as the Dalai Lama, who is engaged in activities to split the motherland," foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a regular briefing.
"So we hope the Canadian government will act from the overall interests of Sino-Canadian friendly relations, rectify its mistake and cancel the visit," he added.
Kong repeated China's position that the Dalai Lama "is not merely a religious figure" but a politician engaged in activities aimed at splitting the China.
The Dalai Lama, considered a living god by followers, will visit Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto from April 19 and May 5.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has agreed to meet him as a spiritual rather than a political leader, following heavy domestic pressure on members of parliament from Tibetan activists.
Martin will become the first Canadian head of government to meet the 1989 Nobel peace prize winner.
In a strongly worded statement issued by China's embassy in Canada to the Canadian government this week, China warned any such meeting would mean Canada was fanning separatism and making a "drastic departure" in policy on Tibet.
China considers the issue of Tibet central to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after an abortive uprising in 1959 and established a government-in-exile in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala.
He rejects Beijing's claims that he is a separatist, arguing he simply wants more autonomy for Tibet from the central government in Beijing.
China, which has occupied Tibet since 1951, has been accused of trying to wipe out its Buddhist-based culture through political and religious repression and a flood of ethnic Chinese immigration.
Now, what really gets me pissed off about this isn't just that China is overreaching its proper authority in trying to tell the Canadian government who they can and cannot speak with, but also that the comparison between Quebec and Tibet is completely out of line with reality.
The problem is simple. Quebec joined Canada as the result of a Confederation conference. That is, political leaders from Quebec sat down with those from the other provinces in the area at the time, and decided to join the new country. (Note that Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland at the time did not.) Compare this with China, which militarily annexed Tibet (as well as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia). In addition to that, Quebeqois separatist activities (that didn't involve terrorism, so this doesn't include the FLQ) have always been allowed in Canada. There are newspaper editorials on the subject dating back to the 1910s. There have been several referenda on the subject. Separatist leader Bouchard even visited France at one point to try to drum up support. The worst that can be said about the Canadian government is that they tried to manipulate public opinion through the sponsorship scandal. On the other hand, China responded to Tibet through violence, and continues to try to replace Tibetan culture with Chinese. While Canada never threatened to punish France over meeting with Bouchard, China is now threatening Canada over meeting with the Dalai Lama.
The simple fact is that meeting with a person does not imply signing on to their agenda. In putting its perception of face before Canadian freedoms of association, China comes off looking like it has no respect for the country it desires to do business with. The Chinese government also looks like a bunch of assholes for trying to prevent a meeting with a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Ultimately, this is a little diplomatic tiff of little moment. It does, however, reveal some things about the Chinese government that we should find disturbing.
