China denounces proposed Dalai Lama visit to Taiwan

What most people don't understand is that East Asian government pronouncements are all part of a bigger picture. They are all symbolic attempts to distribute regional presure among one another in various ways.

Probably, nobody or very few people in power in China care about the actual issue of where the Dalai Lama visits. They are just using this as a stick to beat Taiwan with. If it wasn't this, it would be something else.

It's like the way China and Korea issue stern denouncements of Japanese Politician visits to Yasukuni Shrine (a Shinto shrine associated with right-wing WWII philosophies). None of these people really care if a few Tokyo politicos go to an old wooden building or not. They just use the issue to wheedle stuff out of Japan or to exppress annoyance at more general policies. As above, even if all the Japanese policians stopped going there, they'd find something else to complain about.

These regional protests are all symbolic and represent deeper, more tectonic and long-term power and money issues.

[edit on 8/27/09 by silent thunder]

reply to post by silent thunder


Well I suppose China's strategy worked. The Kuomintang President of Taiwan has no intention of meeting with the Dalai Lama.

I suppose most people are more concerned with their relationship with China than they are with whatever the Dalai Lama is offering.

Dalai Lama not to meet Taiwan President