Miami ends China program

By The Miami Herald
January 20, 2008

After acrimonious debate, Miami Beach commissioners have decided to end city sponsorship of a cultural and business exchange program with China because of concern over the communist country's dismal human rights record. Instead, commissioners voted unanimously to move the program to the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.

The China Cultural and Business Exchange Program is the pet project of Commissioner Jerry Libbin, who defended it as a valuable way to boost tourism. Libbin started the program in 2005, led a local delegation to Beijing in 2006 and Shanghai in 2007, and has hosted reciprocal delegations as well.

But Commissioner Jonah Wolfson, who led the anti-China charge at Wednesday's commission meeting, criticized the program ``in light of the nation's blatant and ongoing human rights abuses.''

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