Tit for Tat -- The Protesting and Boycotting War in the New Brave World
of 21st Century
--Micky's humble opinion : The latest news heard on the web that the
over ten thousand pro-China Chinese "patriots" were hired at 350 dollars
a person by the Chinese government, did make Beijing's torch relay in
Canberra a "successful" overwhelmingly Chinese event. It must have made
their domestic patriotic counterparts inside China green with envy . . .
.. It seems the real war under the facade of "Olympic spirit" is now
****fting to the form of protesting and boycotting. What a farce for
Beijing Olympics! ;-) ;-) --
Protests threaten to mar China talks
By Richard McGregor in Beijing
Published: April 24 2008 16:27 | Last updated: April 24 2008 16:27
The fallout over Tibet and growing anti-western sentiment in China is
threatening to overshadow Friday¡¯s inauguration of a new top-level
dialogue between Beijing and Brussels in the Chinese capital.
Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, said ahead of the meeting
with Chinese leaders that Beijing should make clear its opposition to
calls by local activists for boycotts of European products.
There were large protests at the weekend against Carrefour, the French
supermarket chain with 112 stores in China, in response to
demonstrations in France and other European countries over Tibet and the
Olympics. Some were forced to close.
¡°I would like the Chinese government to make clear again their
disapproval of these boycott calls, because they will not help us
resolve the economic and trade issues between us,¡± Mr Mandelson said in
Tokyo.
He said threats of boycotts on both sides of the debate ¡°created
resentment and made dialogue harder¡±. The European parliament this week
backed a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in
August.
¡°We can¡¯t call for Olympic boycotts in Europe and then be surprised that
there are calls for boycotts of European goods in China,¡± he said.
Chinese leaders, through commentaries in the official media, have
attempted in recent days to ease anti-western sentiment, saying that
patriotic passions should be channelled into work and development.
The government is attempting to head off the possibility of widespread
protests on May 4, the day in 1919 when patriotic students rallied
against ¡°imperialists¡± in a movement that fuelled the birth of the
Communist party. But Beijing has refused to condemn such protests
directly, saying Chinese people were entitled to express their
¡°emotions¡± on the issue.
The meeting in Beijing will usher in a new top-level dialogue between
the EU and China in an effort to add political ballast to a rapidly
growing trade and economic relation****p. The EU is now China¡¯s biggest
trading partner.
The regular meetings will match the status of the US-China ¡°strategic
economic dialogue¡± established at Wa****ngton¡¯s initiative with Beijing
in late 2006.
Chen Deming, China¡¯s commerce minister, emphasised the im****tance of the
EU market, in an article in the Financial Times ahead of the meeting ¨C
not just for ex****ts, but also for Chinese companies trying to expand
overseas.
The commerce ministry has in the past focused primarily on protecting
the interests of ex****ters, even though about half of China¡¯s sales
abroad are made by foreign companies, which capture most of the profits.
Mr Chen¡¯s remarks mark a potentially significant ****ft in emphasis,
which takes account of the growing offshore interests of local Chinese
companies and their desire to invest abroad.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008.
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