Tibet Uprising is Dilemma for China

Yahoo News ^ | March 24, 2008 | Richard Halloran

[yoe]

Despite strenuous Chinese efforts to crimp the flow of information out of Tibet on the uprising there, the stream of dispatches continues and has begun to confront Chinese leaders with a dilemma: What do they do about the Olympics scheduled to open in Beijing on August 8?

Does China go ahead and risk more adverse reports from the horde of 10,000 athletes, 20,000 foreign journalists, and tens of thousands of spectators who will descend on Beijing? Or do the Chinese renege on their promise to open the country for the games? Or, as has already been speculated in Asia, does China call off the games rather than be subjected to close-up international scrutiny.

President George W. Bush, who has accepted China's invitation to the games, is also being confronted with a dilemma. Does the president, who has emphasized human rights in his foreign policy, go to Beijing and appear to condone the actions of a repressive regime? Or does he stay home and incur the wrath of China's rulers with whom the US already has tenuous relations?

All of this begins to come in to focus tomorrow when the Olympic torch is to be lit in Greece, home of the ancient Olympics, and to start wending its 130 day, 82,200 mile journey ending in Beijing in August. It initiates the showcasing of China's emergence as an economic powerhouse and prominent political actor on the international stage. In sum, the Beijing Olympic games are all about national pride.

Under normal circumstances, anti-Chinese riots in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, might have been passed off as a local disturbance in a China that has recently experienced 75,000 instances of civil strife a year. This time, however, a correspondent for the Economist magazine, published in London, was on the scene by happenstance…….

[TigersEye]

[CarrotAndStick]

We show up. We compete. And we win. Just like in Berlin in 1936.

Around 1936, how much was known of the monster Hitler would turn out to be? IIRC, the world hadn't even known the nefarious designs they had for the Jews, in that year. Contrast that with China's case.

What exactly are the parallels between the Berlin Olympics and the one in Beijing?

[TigersEye]

The history of the Olympics was much younger then too. We have the benefit of hindsight now. We can see how Hitler used it as propaganda. And, as you say, we already know about the decades of ongoing atrocities the Chinese have and are committing. No excuses this time.

[camle]

you take is probably valid. one wishe4s that the chinese leadership will wise up and revert to the wiser old days. it must be very expensive to keep after Tibat and Taiwan in terms of manpower and treasure.

should china decide to do the right thing adn let them go, their esteem in world leadership circles would rise dramatically. that would increase people wanting to do business with them, and their own self respect.

but, alas, they won’t do such a thing - gotta save face doncha know. so the lousy olympics is the most important to them.

[quant5]

I know, I look forward to the final global war only for the fact that the new global society will be so much better then these egotistical, selfish national governments. In between now and then, take care fellow Freeper!

[quant5]

They can’t live on forever, Chinese or not :)

[camle]

I have a dream: China decides to become a fully participating member of the world community. They take the lessons learned by Great Brittain in India and elsewhere, and grant independence to Tibet whilst renouncing all claims on Taiwan. makes the world safer for a whole lotsa folks.

Then China can bask in all that good will and warm fuzzies, and people would become vastly less suspicious of them and ntheir motives. China would no longer be world leader with an asterisk.

[quant5]

It’s a good dream. Half the globe is still not in line with what true freedom means, the pro’s and cons of making one’s own choices and being held accountable. When this does occur, we will have a one world-government. My take on this: 40 years away and not before the two mega conglomerate nations clash one more time.