China fumes over Dalai Lama visit
By Mark Magnier | Los Angeles Times
October 17, 2007
Beijing says Bush's meeting with the Tibetan will damage relations and calls on the U.S. to cancel plans to grant him a medal.
China lashed out Tuesday at President Bush's White House meeting with the Dalai Lama, arguing that it would seriously damage relations between Washington and Beijing, and called on the U.S. to cancel plans to honor the famous Tibetan figure with a Congressional Gold Medal.
"We solemnly demand that the U.S. cancel the extremely wrong arrangements," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told reporters hours before the meeting. "It seriously violates the norm of international relations and seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal affairs."
The Dalai Lama, recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, has been based in India since fleeing his homeland during a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. China has condemned him as a "splittist" intent on undermining Chinese sovereignty by working for the independence of Tibet. The Dalai Lama says he is only seeking to expand autonomy, not establish a separate state.
The White House dismissed China's concerns, saying the president has had private meetings with many religious leaders, including the pope.
"The president believes that people all over the world should be able to express their religion and practice their religion in freedom. And that's why the president wants to meet with him," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said. "He believes he should be honored as a great spiritual leader."
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China has already grabbed territory from India in the 1960s when it invaded a part of India. It controls Inner Mongolia. Taiwan, which has Chinese living in it only due to very recent immigration of Chinese only a few centuries back, is being claimed by China. To simultaneously stake a claim on Taiwan and Tibet is a bit pushing it.
For thousands of years, Asia is composed of richly diverse cultures and peoples: like a stir-fry rather than a cake. It would be a sad day if in the future all Asians fall under the Chinese umbrella.
Since the increased level of lead in young people from Chinese-made toys,defective Chinese-made tires, and computer hacker attacks from China on US government computer systems have already caused some serious strain in the Sino-US relationship, the US should just ignore the Chinese government's fury and warnings, and continue to do so in the future. It's not like they would have the fortitude to send their naval fleet to a US coast to display their displeasure on the Dalai Lama's visit. That would be an extremely foolish thing for them to do. Who cares what their stance is on North Korea and Iran? In reality, we don't really need it.