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October 17, 2007
In Your Face, China!
Can you believe that the U.S. Congress is giving a personalized gold medal to that splittist, cult-loving, motherland hater He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? (OK, I'll say it... Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama!) I mean, imagine a scenario in opposite world where Pakistan bestows a platinum dictator's award to Osama bin-Laden while simultaneously trying to remain friendly with America. That should give you a pretty good idea of the shitstorm currently brewing in China.
Of course, that gold medal sure is purty. Speaking of which, how much does it cost for the U.S. Treasury to strike a single gold medal? More than all the tsampa in Tibet, is my guess. They should have at least made a Dalai Lama dollar coin from the mold.
The quote of the day comes from the Dalai Lama, regarding his relationship with President George W. Bush:
We know each other, and we have developed, I think, a very close friendship — something like a reunion of one family.
WTF?!%?#!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know... this post is ironic and sarcastic to the point of having absolutely no meaning. So? What are you gonna do? Sue me in a Chinese court?
UPDATE: Now that I look around after writing this entry I realize that I may have subconsciously stolen the title after seeing the Drudge Report using "Take that, China!". Actually, it was "TAKE THAT, CHINA!". OK, enough metacommentary... one musn't use italics forever.
Bush Attempts To Balance Dalai Lama And Chinese Diplomacy
17 October 2007
Dow Jones International News
(c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. officials have taken pains to keep a private meeting between President George W. Bush and the Dalai Lama from further infuriating China, which reviles the Buddhist leader: no media access, not even a handout photo.
There was to be little subtlety for plans Wednesday, however, when Bush and the U.S.'s most powerful lawmakers host an elaborate public ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda to award the exiled spiritual head of Tibet's Buddhists with Congress' highest civilian award.
It is a delicate bit of diplomatic balancing. Bush wants to ease anger in China, a growing economic and military powerhouse that the U.S. needs to manage nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea. He also wants to be seen as a champion of religious freedom and human rights.
The Dalai Lama, for his part, seemed unconcerned about China's furious reaction to his half-hour meeting Tuesday with Bush in the White House and the presentation Wednesday of the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal.
"That always happens," he said with a laugh, speaking to reporters gathered outside his hotel.
The White House played down the meeting with Bush in the presidential residence section of the White House and dismissed China's warning that this week's events would damage relations between Washington and Beijing. The Dalai Lama travels to Indiana next week for a six-day visit to Bloomington and West Lafayette.
The Dalai Lama is lauded in much of the world as a figure of moral authority, but Beijing demonizes the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and claims he seeks to destroy China's sovereignty by pushing for independence for Tibet.
The Dalai Lama says he wants "real autonomy" for Tibet, not independence. He is immensely popular in the Himalayan region, which China has ruled with a heavy hand since its communist-led forces invaded in 1951. He has lived with followers in exile in India since fleeing Chinese soldiers in Tibet in 1959.
China has demanded that the U.S. cancel this week's celebrations. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing said the events "seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal affairs."
"China is strongly resentful of and resolutely opposes this and has made solemn representation to the U.S. side," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a comment carried Wednesday by the official Xinhua News Agency.
"We seriously urged the U.S. side to correct such wrong doing and stop interfering in China's internal affairs in any forms," Liu said.
Chinese state media declared earlier Wednesday the U.S. "must be held responsible for the consequences."
"We are not willing to see damage done to relations between the two countries, but this event will certainly cast a shadow over the relations," the official China Daily newspaper said in an unsigned editorial.
At the White House, presidential spokesman Tony Fratto said the United States understands China's concerns. But he also said Bush always has attended congressional award presentation ceremonies, has met with the Dalai Lama several times before and had no reason not to meet with him again.
No media access was allowed to Bush's meeting Tuesday. In a departure from normal procedure, the administration released no photos of the meeting either - a testament to the sensitivity of the matter.
"We in no way want to stir the pot and make China feel that we are poking a stick in their eye for a country that we have a lot of relationships with on a variety of issues," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "And this might be one thing that we can do. But I don't believe that that's going to soothe the concerns in China."
U.S. lawmakers regularly criticize Beijing for human rights abuses and a massive military buildup and claim that China ignores abuse by unsavory foreign governments in Sudan and Myanmar in its pursuit of energy and business deals.
The Bush administration also finds fault with China but is usually more measured as it seeks to manage a booming trade relationship and a desire to enlist Chinese cooperation in world affairs.
China tells U.S. not to honor the Dalai Lama
By Joseph Kahn
17 October 2007
International Herald Tribune
© 2007 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
BEIJING -- Chinese officials have warned the United States not to honor the Dalai Lama, saying a planned award ceremony Wednesday for the Tibetan spiritual leader would have ''an extremely serious impact'' on relations between the two countries.
But in Washington, after a private meeting with President George W. Bush, the Dalai Lama laughingly brushed aside the Chinese complaints, saying, ''That always happens.''
The Chinese officials, speaking at a Foreign Ministry briefing and on the sidelines of the Communist Party's 17th National Congress, condemned the Dalai Lama as a separatist and said foreign leaders must stop encouraging him.
''We are furious,'' the Tibetan Communist Party leader, Zhang Qingli, said during the congress. ''If the Dalai Lama can receive such an award, there must be no justice or good people in the world.''
The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since the Chinese Army crushed an uprising in his homeland in 1959, is considered the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is to receive the Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday.
The White House emphasized that the Dalai Lama's White House visit Tuesday was that of a spiritual, not a political leader and of a man whose movement was aimed at freedom of worship, not Tibetan independence.
''We would hope that Chinese leaders would get to know the Dalai Lama as we have gotten to know him: as a great spiritual leader,'' said a statement read by an administration official.
The official noted that the White House meeting was at Bush's residence, not in the Oval Office.
Later, the Dalai Lama said he had explained to Bush what was happening in Tibet and thanked him for ''showing his concern about Tibet.''
He said they had developed ''a very close friendship - something like a reunion of one family.''
When asked whether he had a message for President Hu Jintao of China, the Dalai Lama playfully patted a reporter's cheek, saying, ''You are not a representative of Hu Jintao,'' The Associated Press reported.
The visit came as the United States has been seeking or relying on Chinese cooperation on an array of difficult issues: the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs, the mass killings in Darfur and the crackdown on protesters in Myanmar.
''We in no way want to stir the pot and make China feel that we are poking a stick in their eye for a country that we have a lot of relationships with on a variety of issues,'' said the White House press secretary, Dana Perino.
China has pressed the United States for months to cancel the award event.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said Tuesday that Beijing was ''strongly dissatisfied'' and warned of an ''extremely serious impact'' if the events were held as scheduled. He did not say what steps China would take.
Beijing this week pulled out of a meeting at which world powers were to discuss the Iranian nuclear program. Chinese officials cited ''technical reasons'' for not participating, but they left the clear impression that they might downgrade support for international efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear program if foreign powers interfered in China's internal affairs.
Beijing also canceled its annual human rights dialogue with Germany to protest Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting last month with the Dalai Lama. But Beijing often uses strong language when warning other countries, without taking strong action.
Giving an award to the Dalai Lama is highly unlikely to seriously disrupt relations with the United States, which has often sought to protect Chinese dissidents and has maintained close ties to Taiwan, which China's considers a renegade province.
posted October 17, 2007 at 04:44 PM unofficial Xinjiang time | HaoHao This!
Comments
Hallo!
Always nice to read what you blog here. Seldom I agree, but nice anywho (I learn a little american-english at the same time).
It appears to me that you have plenty of time. Are you a non-working Monk or are you retired or only a millionäre?
(I am an swede 70+ and have worked hard since I was 12+, das was my struggle for existence)
By the way: your many photos are mostly brilliant
The comment above was posted by Ejnar Ekström at October 17, 2007 05:33 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
Holy shit... a funny Swede! And yes, I'm a billionaire retired monk, having worked since I was only 9 days old (needed a day to rest after my circumcision).
The comment above was posted by michael at October 17, 2007 07:02 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
i wish i were a retired billionaire monk..where do i sign up? or do i have to live in xinjiang to apply?
The comment above was posted by dezza at October 17, 2007 09:55 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
"... have worked hard since I was 12+, das was my struggle for existence." What?! Are you serious?!?
Wait, wait... I think I saw this movie. Did it involve a severe beating in a Lutheran school house, and a bed-wetting scene? Don't worry, there's a heart-of-gold moment in the third act.
In the meantime, Mr. Ekstrom, I think you need a hug. So come 'ere, big boy! You big, snuggly-wuggly bear, you!
The comment above was posted by rynsa at October 17, 2007 10:02 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
You know, the day I was pushed out the womb, my mom said, "Bastard, get paid!"
And the rest they say is history.
Anyway, China... PWNED!
U.S... PWNED!
Bush and Dalai...
Cue some 70 funk music, bon chik wong
hmm no.
The comment above was posted by Crazy bat... at October 17, 2007 11:56 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
China must be doing something right, otherwise the western world from the president to file and rank china-bashing foot soliders wouldn't get so scared and crazy.
The comment above was posted by office dweller at October 18, 2007 01:46 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
Nazi Germany made the Western world very scared. Does that mean it was doing something right?
The comment above was posted by Tiako at October 18, 2007 04:59 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
It's really convenient to compare China to Nazi Germany. Do you care to get into more details why China is like Nazi Germany? Because to me and many people today's USA is more like Nazi Germany than any other country.
The comment above was posted by office dweller at October 18, 2007 09:34 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
The U.S. Congress loves Asian holy men. Anyone remember when Salon Magazine revealed that Reverend Moon was declared lord of the 2nd Advent in the U.S. capitol building?
The comment above was posted by ouyang at October 18, 2007 02:25 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@OD - Actually, I was just refuting your point. And I don't really want to get into a debate about the rest. If you want, email me, but this isn't really the place. Sorry for bringing it up.
@ouyang - To be fair, the coronation came as a surprise to the attendees.
The comment above was posted by Tiako at October 18, 2007 10:17 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
"Nazi Germany made the Western world very scared"
no, Nazi Germany didn't make the Western world very scared, Nazi Germany WAS(!!!) part of the western world.
The comment above was posted by hudaberdi at October 19, 2007 02:57 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
There are three factors that caused the current East Asia power-balance tilts to China with its economic and military power increasing every day:
1) US is doing all Israeli bidding to fight all kinds of open or covert small wars in Middle East and Islam world. So since 1997 IMF-induced Asian Financial Crisis, China influence increased among whole Southeast Asia.
2) Japan's decline on economic status and also the aging process.
3) India is being subdued by China's special relationship with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma.
It is the 3rd area USA is working hard to pump up India to undermine China's influence. That is why USA and West need to distablize Tibet.
For China, the payback is very easy. Leaking more deadly weapons to Taliban and Iraqi resistance. And also give more support to Iran and leaking some bad weapons to anti-Israel groups.
The comment above was posted by Sha at October 21, 2007 02:23 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
Pres. Bush has finally done something I agree with! And Congress too! I'm glad they did the right thing (recognizing the DL) and also didn't back down under China's tiresome threats. Although I'm agnostic I am glad to see my country standing up to support (non-violently) religious freedom - for all religions. Now, if they would just be more forthright in supporting those of us who choose no religion!
The comment above was posted by Jay at October 21, 2007 11:14 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@Sha - I doubt that China will try to get weapons to either the Iraqi or Taliban terrorists or insurgents (There is a wide gulf between the two, and both are present in Afghanistan and Iraq). It's almost impossible to do something like that without everyone knowing, and China most certainly doesn't want to be a state sponsor of terrorism, especially with the Olympics coming up. And the US didn't go into Iraq to help Israel, although that has been argued by a few.
But your general point is correct. China is growing stronger in its region in part because the US is too focused on Iraq and Afghanistan right now to properly check it.
hudaberdi - If you want to discuss the point, email me.
The comment above was posted by Tiako at October 22, 2007 09:05 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
I am so sick of peopel using this 2008 Olympic to blackmail China. It's just a stupid game. I can never understand why it's so important to many Chinese. It's nothing compared with China's national interest. But since the fact remains that it's imporant to many Chinese and westerns love to use the boycott threat to blackmail China, let's hope it will go smoothly. But, let's be bad, really really bad after this stupid game when the west loses its magic perfect blackmail tool.
The comment above was posted by office dweller at October 22, 2007 07:54 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@Tiako,
Actually China just sell the weapons to Iran and Iran will pass over. So China didn't break any international treaty. You should research about how US found Mehsud to attack Chinese engineers in Pakistan and how British and American complain Chinese made shoulder fired anti-missiles in Taliban's hand. Oh, the last, why Americans allowed Iraq government buy $100M worth of weapons from China. (A apparently payoff to exchange for weapons to Iran).
The comment above was posted by Sha at October 23, 2007 12:40 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@Office dweller,
Actually that means West didn't have any leverage over China now.
Most of Chinese are foolishly believed that Western people are friendly toward them. So this is a big chance to let them find out the truth.
I am always against China's tight control over access to foreign media. I think Chinese need to know how hostile Weterners toward them. A little bit of nationalism will not hurt.
The comment above was posted by Sha at October 23, 2007 12:43 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@Sha,
I totally understand what you are saying here. Living in the US for a few years and most Chinese will become more patriotic and nationalistic. Even the ordinary students who had no interest in politics at all when they were in China. Why? The bias and hatred toward China in western media only serve to make Chinese to be more aware of the fact that the west will never want to treat China as an equal. And China has to be strong. China will never live like Korea, Mongollia or Vietnam or even Japan. The west 'like' these countries or at least tolerate them since they don't post "threat" (how unfounded it may be). China has to be strong. This is the only way out.
If you read New Yortk times archive articles about China in 19th centry or eearly 20th century, the Americans had very different tones when talking about China back then from today. China was weak, humilated on the daily basis and on the brink of being divided and eaten by the powers. The Times showed some sympathy to China at that time. But today they can't afford to playing "gentalmen" now. They are scared and they will do anything to perpetuate the various prejudices and biases against China. They are getting crazy. Before God destory someone he makes him crazy first. That's exactly what's happening to the west nowadays. They will set obstacles and try everyting to derail China's development, but we will overcome. The Chinese people around me give me hope. They are smart, hard working and kind in nature. These are the kind of people who will survive and overcome.
The comment above was posted by office dweller at October 23, 2007 04:14 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
Hello,
I am a Chinese and travelling in California now,I found your site interested.
I wonder how you like China and why you choose to live there,not in Beijing or Shanghai where most foreign people use to be.
Anyway,I am glad to know you and you can drop me a email if you have any problem need my help,I speak English.
Yours,
Glenn
The comment above was posted by Glenn at October 23, 2007 12:26 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@office dweller,
LOL. You probably didn't experience the anti-Japanese sentiment in 1980s in USA. The only difference is that Japan is still a US colony by any defination. Those American GIs and Marines, beside gang-rape Japanese school girls, still pose a threatening force in Japan. So Japan cannot tell US "go take a hike!" when economic concession is required.
China, in the contrast, can maintain a skillful relationship that avoids direction confrontation, so those in power newcons can have full of themselves, and would eat dust fast.
The current US administration is a bunch of idiots, and Congress is even worse.
The comment above was posted by Sha at October 23, 2007 02:53 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
office dweller,
I share your experience. Having completed graduate school and now teaching at a college here, I find I have become more and more nationalistic. This is the commone experience of every single Chinese student and scholar I know. But when I think more carefully, I realize that "nationalistic" is not the right word to describe this spiritual journey. It is actually a process of reaching political maturity through exposure to reality, immersing in the world and finding your position in it. It's a complicated cognitive process, a sweet and sour emotional experience. Looking back, I can't stop marvelling at how shallow and immature I and my college buddies were in 1989 at THE SQUARE. I heard the younger generation (post 80s) are not at all like us in the old days. I am happy for them. I am going to write a piece on these feelings in my blog. Stop by maybe you find something that resonates with your experiences.
Sha,
I aggree with some of your analyses. But I have a big issue with your attitude toward the Japanese people. The way you mention school girls being gang raped and all that is extremely disrespectful and heartless. You dehumanize human suffering. Why do you have to get a cheap thrill at the expense of other people's tragedy? Does that look good on us Chinese?
The comment above was posted by bianxiangbianqiao at October 24, 2007 08:41 AM unofficial Xinjiang time.
@bianxiangbiangiao,
I have nothing against poor Japanese school girls. But this has a LOT to do with Japanese government and people's attitude towards American "occupation" force. Believe, most of American military guys behave very good in France because French doesn't take any shit from them.
The comment above was posted by Sha at October 25, 2007 03:04 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.
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The comment above was posted by InsafsIz at October 19, 2008 07:24 PM unofficial Xinjiang time.