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Latest update: 08/12/2008
- China - Dalai Lama - Nicolas Sarkozy - Tibet
Should France kowtow to China?
Apparently French President Nicolas Sarkozy has hurt the feelings of the Chinese people by meeting the Dalai Lama. But is that enough to derail French-Chinese relations and invoke economic sanctions such as boycotting French goods?
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Comments (2)
I am deeply offended...
As a liberal in a free and democratic nation (we just elected an incredible African American as our President) I am deeply offended by this Chinese Journalist, the Chinese Government, and the Chinese people in recent days. How dare they attempt to interfere with the internal workings of our democatic nations and dictate to us who a sovereignly elected President can and cannot meet with???? This is a dangerous path we are being led down, NO, Sarkozy do not kowtow to these Chinese imperialists or they will be attempting to kill free and open democracy at every opportunity. I regard the Han Chinese of the middle Kingdom as every bit as dangerous and treacherous as the worst terrorists. Do not fall into their trap! We sat by quietly when they annexed (yes annexed illegally!) Tibet. Now in their supreme arrogance they will try to subvert France, her democratic sovereignty and openess of expression. Do not give in, even a centimeter, if you do, they will take a kilometer. Today they will deny your right to speak to a Buddhist religious leader, what will they demand in the future? As a Westerner and a freeman, I find the Chinese demands deeply offensive and an infringement of our traditions dating back to Rome and Greece. Take a firm stand Sakozy, for France, for Europe, and for Western Civilization. Kowtow to the Chinese??
NEVER!!!!
confirms my opinion and admitted prejudices
After over 50 years of relating to Asians, including 40 years as a Buddhist practitioner (both Zen/Ch'an and Vajrayana) and as the proud parent of a young woman who is a a Chinese scholar who has studied in Beijing and Shanghai I am convinced that Asians in general have little understanding of what it means to be a free citizen in a democratic society. This young Chinese journalist unfortunately confirms my prejudices... all the perceived insults to the "Chinese government" because Sarkozy met with the Dalai Lama? What are they so afraid of? I have met the Dalai Lama and doubt that it is what he actually says to Sarkozy that will effect anything, but it is his very presence and the transmission of the Buddha's Mind, a transmission of truth and compassion that goes beyond words, that the Chinese fear the most, if not consciously (I doubt if their materialistic nihilism will admit to the deeper stirrings of the Buddha's Mind) then subconsciously they know they are on shaky ground and they deeply fear the Dalai Lama's vastly superior expression mind. To open the door to this experience one should immerse oneself in the Heart of Wisdom Sutra. I believe that fundamentally this is the source of all the Chinse anxiety about Sakozy meeting with the Dalai Lama. Because once one has even a glimpse of that infinite presence, all the rather shallow and simple-minded neurotic trips of the Chinese government and their shallow minions become most transparent.