China threatens France over Dalai honour
An assertive China is one thing; a global playground bully is quite another. The playground comment is entirely appropriate because China’s leaders are behaving like children again:
BEIJING (AFP) – China warned Paris Thursday not to make more “errors” on Tibet amid news the Dalai Lama may be made an honorary citizen of the French capital, just as frosty ties between the two nations had improved.
“We urge the Paris side to stop doing things that interfere in China’s internal affairs and make no further errors on the Tibet-related issue.”
“If the Paris city government does make this award, it will definitely meet once again with the Chinese people’s firm opposition,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters.
The characterisation of the proposed Honour as an “error” is a typically aggressive Chinese response to anything that isn’t consistent with the CCP’s love affair with obedience: do what we say, or get punished.
Read more here.
The line ‘interference in China’s internal affairs’ has been tiresome for years. It’s also full of crap. Beijing simply doesn’t like the fact that His Holiness is regarded throughout the world (with one petulant exception) as a decent peace-loving man. Honours for such individuals are entirely appropriate and are not, I would boldly suggest, matters for China to ‘interfere’ with.
Unfortunately, irresponsible despots have no qualms about using economic blackmail to get their petty way on this and other issues. Appeasing China by backing down, as South Africa did recently, is going to lead the world to a bad place. China must grow up to the fact that not everyone shares their world view.
I sincerely hope that the French government and people stand up to China on this, and that other world leaders offer their support for that position. Not to do so will only embolden China’s leaders to make increasing demands of the countries they do business with.
Give the Dalai Lama his honour, not to annoy China, but because you were going to do it anyway and because France feels that it is deserved. DO NOT BACK DOWN.
Update
While France ponders, the Dutch, it appears, are showing signs of courage.