China to U.S.: Ban the Dalai Lama!

The Dalai Lama met with President Bush in the White House a few hours ago at about the same time that China warned of an “extremely serious impact” if the meeting went ahead.

So what’s the “extremely serious impact” going to be? A cancelled meeting or two? Non-cooperation on Iran? Lots of stern words?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the Dalai Lama in her official office a few weeks ago, defying Chinese warnings, and Beijing sputtered but did little. Other global leaders are also snubbing the Chinese on this issue.

In fact, China probably can’t do much. It’s not going to hurt trade relations with its major trading partners. Even if it correctly assesses that the Dalai Lama is a “splittist” looking to carve Tibet out of China, he’s also a religious leader who arguably is the most famous person worldwide associated with Greater China. I would bet that more people worldwide could recognize a photo of the Dalai Lama than they could of Hu Jintao or Yao Ming, although Jackie Chan would be up there.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was the one who offered the warning to the U.S. about the visit. “We express our extreme dissatisfaction and strong opposition. We solemnly demand that the US side cancel the extremely wrong arrangement," Yang said Tuesday in Beijing.

This is matter is a fly in the ointment for China’s “peaceful rise.” While China has a far more benign image in much of the world, compared to the United States, it risks looking like a bully if it takes punitive action over the Dalai Lama’s travels, which it increasingly does. In May, Beijing thwarted a trip of the Dalai Lama to Belgium, threatening to scrub a visit by Belgium’s crown prince to Beijing. Of course, the European media gave the Chinese pressure lots of coverage.

Comments

[Ninety Eight]

Why can't GW meet with a llama instead? Would Beijing complain in that case? After all, he meets with a real turkey every thanksgiving and pardons it.

Imagine if Mao woke up from his embalmed self.... and realize that his image is now on the most sought after commodity in the country: every RMB 100 note!

What better way to let him know that communism has failed?

Me thinks he would go hunt down Deng in the afterworld and order him assassinated.

Knowing Deng, the plot will fail and Mao will get sent down to the countryside of hell and be made to fight KMT troops for the rest of his time in hell.

[Pffefer]

Beijing is bluffing again, of course. You are right to say that it can't do much and it doesn't really matter. I'd like to see the day when China does something it would matter.

The Chinese diplomats are not as skillful as people think they are, protesting hysterically over Dalai Lama's visit does nothing but hurting their image. The Chinese are too sensitive about how people (especially foreigners) think of them and their country, they should take a page from the Americans and be tough: The hell with what you think about us. We America are the best! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

[Bjoern]

Are you seriously saying the Dalai Lama is still "looking to carve Tibet out of China"? He has not made such a claim in years, if not decades. He is in fact only demanding "real" autonomy, especially "real" religious freedom for Tibet. China should better realise that and start talking with the Dalai Lama before his no-violence commitment dies with him.

[chinese buddhist]

1. "Great Religious Leaders" (like DL?) shouldn't shake the blood-soaked hands of "Great Presidents" (like GWB). Or should they? Arab blood, of course.
2. Notwithstanding DL, I do believe that Buddhism + Science = best future path for China.
3. Thankfully, Buddhism is NOT limited to Lamaism.

[chinese buddhist]

Correction: Make that Buddhism + Science + CCP = best future path for China.

[Pffefer]

I agree, China should be talking to Dalai Lama. Some Tibetan youth organizations in India are talking about ditch Dalai Lama's nonviolent approach and calling for rebellions and even terrorist attacks in China. Beijing's best chance lies with Dalai Lama.

[Otto Kerner]

Chinese Buddhist,

Let me see if I have this straight: no real Buddhist leader would be willing to shake hands with someone like George Bush ... but China's future lies in cooperation between Buddhism and the Chinese Communist Party, of all things?

[chinese buddhist]

Why NOT combine Buddhism, Science & CCP? Is permission needed from someone? Is it permissible to be Original? As a Chinese Buddhist, my opinions are:
1. CCP has done a FINE JOB for the people of China;
2. SCIENCE is a gift to ALL MANKIND (just as Ahmedinejad, a Muslim, also thinks).
3. BUDDHISM is a very Scientific Guide to living.
As for GWB, as a Buddhist, I would not shake blood-soaked hands & THAT is EXTREMELY un-original.

[nanheyangrouchuan]

Oh, what happened to China'
s policy of non-interference in other countries' internal politics?
And if a US president wants to meet the Dalai Lama, it is their business, not China's.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-donors19oct19,0,4231217.story?coll=la-home-center

[psychiatrist]

nanhey: you need medication!

[Otto Kerner]

Chinese Buddhist,

My point, of course, is that the CCP has hands that are equally bloody as George Bush's, if not moreso. I can certainly see where decent people might wish to avoid having much to do with either. However, the Dalai Lama has certain responsibilities due to his role as a politician, and, yes, that can place him in ethically challenging situations, with no easy solution.

[chinese buddhist]

1. I suppose you do know, that the CCP successfully fought several foreign parties, plus a domestic one, in order to WORK MIRACLES FOR CHINA'S RENEWAL?
2. No apologies are due to anyone, for anything done in SELF-DEFENCE.
3. It is curious, that Western media ALWAYS dwells, with great indignation, on CHINESE people who perished during the Great Leap, or labour camps -- but never comments on the SAME Chinese people, upon Opium & Opium Wars were forced! Maybe an apology would not be misplaced?
4. A country losing 20 million (or is it 30, or 40?) to famine, may be NOT SO BAD, compared to 400 million addicted citizens.

[A B]

How about something Peter Ustinov once said:

“Success,” he said, “depends on how much we are allowed to forget compared to how much we are incited to remember.”

There are things that are hard to forget, such as the Japanese behavior during the war and after, when they wiggled out of paying war reparations to China, ensuring that Japanese will be enemies for at least another century...

As for the Opium war, perhaps it is time for the Governments concerned (UK, China, and don't forget all the other countries that got concessions), to formally have a kiss and make up conference.

Then let us be permitted to (and incited to) remember the conference.... and not the other memories.

[chinese buddhist]

Buddhism includes forgiveness, so no problem with forgiving past enemies. But what about future ones? Or even present ones. Religion does also teach WISDOM, not foolishness. "Be wise as Serpents & innocent as Doves" (yes, I know, that saying is from Christian source: but Wisdom is non-sectarian).

[nanheyangrouchuan]

"when they wiggled out of paying war reparations to China, ensuring that Japanese will be enemies for at least another century..."

How about the concept that Mao turned down the money MacArthur ordered the Japanese to pay? That would ensure that Japan was not able to make any real, formal concessions and that Japan would be an external enemy of convenience.

[nanheyangrouchuan]

"when they wiggled out of paying war reparations to China, ensuring that Japanese will be enemies for at least another century..."

How about the concept that Mao turned down the money MacArthur ordered the Japanese to pay? That would ensure that Japan was not able to make any real, formal concessions and that Japan would be an external enemy of convenience.

[chinese buddhist]

quite some concept. Hatched where, I wonder? Maybe from the fertile mind of nanhey -- certainly resembles the rest of his ceaseless anti-China & indeed anti-Asia, ranting & raving.

[rio]

Otto, while i don't like the talk of bloody hands, I do believe more ppl have died directly as a result of descisions from Georgie than from Hu.
Western media might give it a prettier name, but killing is killing, and Americans need to open their eyes before one day they wake up and find that Americans are also refered to as collateral damage.

[A B]

How Japan wiggled out of paying war reparations to China after WWII:

The scheme was simple, the Japanese played off the Nationalist against the Communists, by surrendering to the side that did not demanded war reparations, and thus, ensuring that they received Japanese war materiale and have an upper hand in winning the civil war.

As it turned out, neither the Nationalists nor the Communists dared to demand reparations knowing that they would strengthen the other side with Japanese arms.

Japan thus, surrendered to the Nationalists on terms that excluded reparations.

However, the boost that the Nationalist got from the Japanese surrender did not ensure that they survived the civil war, thus, upsetting the Nationalist, and the Japanese, plans for getting out of the war with China 'scot free'.

Insofar as refusing the reparations offered by Japan after the defeat of the Nationalists on the mainland, that would certainly be the thing to do until there is a comprehensive settlement that resulted in the 1978 peace treaty --- acceptance of the paltry sums offered would have undermined legitimate claims.

As it turned out, the Japanese, by negotiating out of paying reparations in the 1978 peace treaty, it certainly made them look smart in the short term, but it also meant that there is no finality in the settlement nor did it provide for redress of Chinese claims and grivences.

Being a long time observer of Asia and China, my belief is that the likely outcome of this conflict is it will eventually result in the destruction of Japan --- It may be 2 centuries, or maybe 5 centuries down the road, perhaps past the time when Japan still has a credible alliance with the United States, but their fate is certain.

Chinese are a people with long memories and willing to bide their time. If Japan were wise, they would honestly and earnestly make large scale reparations and earnest apologies now while the WWII generation is still alive, and perhaps, forestall the inevitable payback from China in the centuries ahead.

The Japanese are a people brilliant at making clever short term gains at the expense of long term success --- witness Pearl Harbor: six months of stunning victories followed by total defeat.

Not making China appeased and satisfied with the outcome of WWII when Japan is economically strong in the mid 1970s and 80s when China still desperately in need of outside aid and assistance is one of the worst mistakes Japan can make.

Once again, Japanese traded off short term advantage for long term gains of being a former enemy that became a good friend of China.

Not a wise move as China's economy become the largest one in the world.

A even less clever move as China's military strength ultimately overtake Japan in the next 2 centuries.