'Prime Minister, pour the Dalai some tea'
Letter
April 12, 2004
China issued a statement to the National Post newspaper last Wednesday saying no Canadian government officials should meet with the Dalai Lama "in any capacity and in any form so as not to upset or damage the bilateral relations" between the two countries.
I don't understand how Chinese officials can say that if Prime Minister Paul Martin meets with the Dalai Lama trade relations between the two countries could be damaged.
They seem to have forgotten two things about Canada: First, we are a democratic society run by Canadians, not the Chinese Communist Party and second, we provide China with about $65.4 million in aid.
If a meeting with the Dalai Lama is worth $65.4 million in terms of savings in foreign aid to a country that has a space program, a gigantic state-of-the-art equipped army and a horrible human-rights policy then throw open the doors, Mr. Martin, and pour that man some tea.
Sara Burleigh,
Hope
Ide jutottunk
Kina ugy érzi, hogy megszabhasa a kanadai miniszterelnöknek, hogy az kit fogadhat.
Letter
April 12, 2004
China issued a statement to the National Post newspaper last Wednesday saying no Canadian government officials should meet with the Dalai Lama "in any capacity and in any form so as not to upset or damage the bilateral relations" between the two countries.
I don't understand how Chinese officials can say that if Prime Minister Paul Martin meets with the Dalai Lama trade relations between the two countries could be damaged.
They seem to have forgotten two things about Canada: First, we are a democratic society run by Canadians, not the Chinese Communist Party and second, we provide China with about $65.4 million in aid.
If a meeting with the Dalai Lama is worth $65.4 million in terms of savings in foreign aid to a country that has a space program, a gigantic state-of-the-art equipped army and a horrible human-rights policy then throw open the doors, Mr. Martin, and pour that man some tea.
Sara Burleigh,
Hope
Ide jutottunk
Kina ugy érzi, hogy megszabhasa a kanadai miniszterelnöknek, hogy az kit fogadhat.
