Open doors for the Dalai Lama

Everybody knows that human rights groups are taking advantage of the run-up to the Olympics to make trouble for Beijing. But what about countries?

Looks to me like countries once reticent to invite the Dalai Lama are now doing so with open arms, and making a big show of it.

They know China will come back and blast them for “severely hurting the feelings of the Chinese people,” threaten “severe consequences” and maybe even cancel some meetings. But foreign diplomats calculate that a window has opened to welcome the Dalai Lama.

The most recent case is Canada, where on Monday Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave the Dalai Lama red carpet treatment, welcoming him at his Parliament Hill office in Ottawa and allowing photographers to snap away. It was the first time a Canadian prime minister has held an official meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader, who also visited with a number of parliamentary officials.

In recent weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the Dalai Lama in her official office, and President Bush opened the White House to him, although he did not permit photographers. Over the summer, Australian Prime Minister John Howard also received the Dalai Lama, and Australian media suggest there were no adverse effects from China.

As recently as May, the situation was different. Belgium postponed a welcome for the Dalai Lama after Beijing threatened to cancel the visit of a trade delegation headed by Belgium’s crown prince.

Now, the mood in Europe and elsewhere are different. England is welcoming the Dalai Lama next May, and I bet he’ll visit No. 10 Downing Street. Where else in Europe will he go?

Beijing has reason to be wary. It seems that with the Olympics looming, wherever the Dalai Lama travels, he is received in grand fashion. And Beijing’s warnings don’t carry much weight. After all, how can it retaliate against the West without harming itself?

Comments

[nanheyangrouchuan]

Screw those dirty, horrible old men in zhongnanhai.

[Canadia]

That Bush wannabe herpes guy is just lame.
And the troll Nanhey is in all the blogs bashing China. Does he have a life? No.

[A B]

Those two Mounties beside the Dai Lai Lama are not Sikhs wearing turbans?

What a clever insult!

No uncertain way of telling him about being in the land where Church and State is separate.

I wonder if Harper is muttering 'majority government, majority government' as he greeted the Dai Lai Lama?

[Evan]

It's great to get some good news for a change. I'm not sure what China's problem is. I heard The Dalai Lana speak in the US, and he was clearly making an attempt to reconcile with China, rejecting independence for Tibet and only asking that Tibetan culture be permitted to survive in its homeland.

[hah]

A celebrity is a celebrity, no matter religious or not. However, all celebrities will have their end of the day.

[chinese buddhist]

I am Buddhist & I could not care less, WHERE the DL visits.
China is, imo, just going through the correct motions, in response to Western IMPERTINENCE. I suspect China Foreign Ministry just YAWNS, after each charade is completed.

[nanheyangrouchuan]

The Chinese Foreign Ministry yawns due to exhaustion after jumping up and down in a rage.

Stupid, bad, dirty China.

[Pffefer]

Seriously, China needs to grow up and stop the whinny protests, they have not worked that well in the past and they won't work in the future. Let Dalai Lama goes wherever he wants to go and say whatever he wants to say, giving him an elevated status does not change the fact that Tibet is part of China and will remain so. Having said that, a increasingly popular Dalai Lama is not good for Beijing's cause. What China needs to do is, instead of lodging the useless and pathetic protests, it should be doing something substantial that will hurt those countries. And the best way to hurt these countries is through trade. Germany? Wasn't Germany competing with France and Japan on the fast-speed rail between Beijing and Shanghai? Take the German firms out. The US? Hehe, I don't think Beijing needs anybody's advice as to how to hurt the US. Canada? I mean Canada? No offense but Canada is not remotely significant enough to be retaliated against. Leave the harmless moonies alone. :-) Sure China will suffer as a result but it can afford to take some hits while dealing a few blows to these countries today.

Meanwhile, talk to Dalai Lama! He is the best chance you've got.

[cc]

IMO, DL's periodical tour of the western powers and the OTT reception given by his western admirers are doing more damage to the cause that he has been working for than what his lately found celebrity status in the west can help practically. After all, the problem has to be sorted out, if ever, between him/his side and a party that does not have their work done in North America or Europe.

[psychiatrist]

Advice for the troll nanhey: HEY: medication is recommended, to control your "foaming at the mouth" problem!

[Otto Kerner]

I understand what the Chinese are worried about. If it's true that, as it seems, Tibetans want their freedom, then it's hard to see how the government can satisfy them with half-measures. Leaders can make deals, but if the public sees that they are making gains against China, they have no reason to stop. The situation is quite similar to Ireland: the Irish leaders agreed to autonomy within the United Kingdom, but their democratic government quickly changed its mind. Once they took control of their own government, this was inevitable. The alternative is terror and brutality.

Wang Lixiong has suggested a compromise in which Tibet's status is structured in a way that makes it impossible for it to secede. That would be a great compromise. But I have doubts that this plan could be made to work.

[wk]

Seriously, does China really care about Dalai Lama? Dalai Lama is living in India and doing whatever he wants to, he has no hope of ever returning to Lhasa.

[Otto Kerner]

Do they care about him? Judge by their behaviour. If they didn't care, why would they spend so much time denouncing him?

[rio]

Noise doesn't always mean thats where the catch is. Its entirely possible that they don't really care so much about the DL, but only reacting because they are expected to care, and thus diverting media/activist/foreign attention from a whole host of other more flamable issues. At this point, Tibet is China's; there is absolutely no threat to this reality no matter how many hippies cry 'Free Tibet'. And while they're given an easy target to shout about, they won't for example be screaming 'Unionize migrant workers', or other things that really matter.

[Otto Kerner]

If hippies screamed "unionize migrant workers", would that make it happen? I fail to see the relevant difference.

[rio]

no it probably wouldn't, but would actually address a serious issue affecting China. One thats potentially volatile and threatens CCP control.
When you shout 'Free Tibet', despite all the showmanship there is absolutely no major force inside or outside China that will make a serious push towards it.
When you talk about migrant worker rights however, you'll likely get at least some attention from the hundreds of millions of these workers that are the backbone of current Chinese development. Thats something with substance, and something of REAL concern for the government.

[CNC machines]

i hate Dalai Lama! he batries his country ! engraving machine