Commentary

China Watch

Forum Digests

Columnists

Letters

Matters of sovereignty

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-12 07:43

French Ambassador to China Herve Ladsous said he was disappointed, and could not understand Chinese indignation at Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting the Dalai Lama.

We've heard this before: Neither France as a country nor its president intend to derail bilateral ties. On the contrary, France will continue to be loyal to friendship with China. Sarkozy, as the French president, has an obligation to embrace the Dalai Lama.

All this is familiar stuff to us.

The French ambassador's press conference boils down to one central message - China has over-reacted.

Many might have anticipated France's top diplomatic envoy in China to be a little more sensitive to Chinese sensitivities. But his words showed otherwise.

If his press conference yesterday was meant to be conducive to easing the tension, it was a failure. He spent the bulk of the time blaming the Chinese for making the case. His words revolved round that single message - the Chinese should not have over-reacted.

Sounds like things had not gone wrong until the Chinese got fussy. Sarkozy was innocent and beyond reproach. China was being unreasonable.

What is the logic here? Shall we apologize?

The Chinese feel offended not because the French president saw a Nobel Laureate. Who cares whom he is hugging were it not the Dalai Lama? The Dalai Lama is no common religious figure, or an ordinary Nobel Prize winner. The Tibet issue is a domestic affair concerning China's sovereignty.

Sarkozy was fully aware of the gravity of the matter on Chinese minds. Even if he had not been, he was reminded plenty of times in advance. He was briefed on possible consequences. But he went ahead anyway. He trampled on a clearly drawn, and tirelessly expounded, diplomatic redline.

They said it was not provocation. But the French president knowingly offended the people he now says he want to befriend, without showing repentance.

Perhaps the French are more casual about matters of sovereignty. After all, they did not suffer the kind of pains this nation has been through. But sovereignty lies at the core of Chinese diplomatic concerns as well as of the Chinese psyche.

Talking about partnership, the Chinese care about reciprocity, and hate duplicity.

For the French ambassador's and president's information, the Chinese are forgiving, but not on matters of sovereignty.

(China Daily 12/12/2008 page8)