China warns France
December 9th 2008
China warns France over meeting with Dalailama
[/ul] by Marianne Barriaux Marianne Barriaux – Fri Nov 14, 9:42 am ET
China on Friday warned that French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s planned meeting with the Dalailama, …
BEIJING (AFP) – China on Friday hit out at French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s planned meeting with the Dalailama, warning it could hurt relations between the two countries.
“Currently relations between China and France, and Europe and China, are in the process of improving and developing, and this situation is the result of hard work. So we should cherish it,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
“We ask France to look at the big picture… pay attention to China’s serious concerns and handle relevant issues properly to promote the stable development of Sino-French and European and Chinese relations.”
Sarkozy is planning to meet the Dalailama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, next month during a visit to Poland.
“We resolutely oppose foreign leaders having any form of contact with the Dalailama,” Qin said in a statement released in response to Sarkozy’s announcement.
China and France went through a rough patch this year when Sarkozy said his attendance at the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony was conditional on progress in talks between Beijing and DalaiLama envoys on the future of Tibet.
He did attend the ceremony.
Protesters also disrupted the passage of the Olympic flame in several cities — including Paris — following unrest in Tibet, further damaging relations between China and France, although these have since improved.
The Dalailama has sought “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet since he fled his homeland following a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule, nine years after Chinese troops invaded the region.
China claims he actually seeks full independence.
The Dalailama has already met French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, human rights minister Rama Yade and first lady Carla Bruni on a visit to France in August.
Sarkozy then declined to meet him after Beijing warned that such direct contact would have serious consequences for bilateral relations.
The DalaiLama and Sarkozy will both be attending ceremonies in Poland to mark the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace prize to Lech Walesa, the anti-communist union activist who later became president.
The Buddhist leader was also awarded the prestigious prize in 1989.
