When French President Sarkozy said he would consider attending the Beijing Olympics only if talks between China and the Dalai Lama went well, large online forums in China were immediately swept up in "anti-Sarkozy" sentiment. Netizens one after the other expressed, "Tibet is China's territory, and Sarkozy has no right to interfere," "Now it's not a question of whether Sarkozy wants to come, it's about whether the Chinese people still welcome him," and some netizens even said, "We should adamantly boycott French goods and tourism."
On June 30, Sarkozy asserted on French national television that "If there was continued progress and if the Dalai Lama and the Chinese president acknowledged the progress, then the obstacle to my participation would be lifted." He said that he would make his decision early next week, when he will be attending the G8 Summit in Japan. Sarkozy also said that in August, the Dalai Lama might visit him in France. The meeting is planned to be held at a Buddhist temple, not the presidential Elysee Palace, thus emphasizing the Dalai Lama' identity as a religious, not political leader.
Regarding Sarkozy's attitude of "if it goes well, then I'll attend," Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Liu Jian said during a press conference that "the Tibet issue is China's internal affair. Contact between relevant departments in the Chinese central government and the Dalai Lama's representatives is China's internal matter. We oppose meetings of any form between the leaders of countries and the Dalai Lama as well as the linking of the Tibet issue with the Beijing Olympics. We are against the politicization of the Olympics."
In reality, Sarkozy's wavering attitude on whether he will attend the Olympics opening ceremony has already hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. On many online forums in China, netizens have said, "We reject French President Sarkozy's visit to Beijing for the opening ceremony! China doesn't welcome you!" Some have even spoken of boycotting French goods.
Regarding Sarkozy and Bruni, netizens have expressed fierce criticism. Netizen "By the Mountains" said, "If Sarkozy tries to use the Dalai Lama, who wants to split up China, as a bargaining chip over his attendance of the Beijing Olympics, then he is making a huge mistake. The Chinese government and the Chinese people will definitely not negotiate with conditions."
Netizen "From the Lotus Pool by Moonlight" offered the following analysis: "For a leader of a country to say something like this is really a cause for ridicule by the rest of the world. The Olympics are a sports event for people all over the world, not as a chip for any single country to use for political debate. To China, you are a leader of a country. If you come here, we will welcome you, but if you don't come, so what? It only confirms what a joke of a national leader you are."
Some netizens reasoned, "It's just like attending a banquet. An invitation has been sent to him, and whether he comes or not is Sarkozy's own business. The Olympics are for everyone, no matter if they're a president or an average citizen; everyone in the world is equal. If they come, they are considered guests and will be received warmly. If they don't come, it's not a big deal."
After French President Sarkozy announced his stance on the Tibet issue and the Olympics opening ceremony, netizens expressed their desire on many domestic websites to "boycott French goods and tourism." This April, because of events like the disruption of the Olympic torch relay in France and reports that major French companies support Tibetan independence, netizens have started a wave of calls for boycotting French goods.
According to Customs statistics, 3.367 billion US dollars passed in commerce between China and France in 2007, up by 33.7 percent from the previous year. The value of exports from China increased by 46.1 percent to 2.033 billion USD, and the value of imports entering China rose by 18.3 percent to 1.334 billion USD.
In 2007, French trade volume (not including military arms) reached 8.3877 trillion Euros. The value of exports from France was 3.9333 trillion, while the value of imports was 4.4543 trillion. Sino-French commerce makes up 4.4 percent of French foreign trade.
By People's Daily Online
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