Thin skinned China

Even Americans seem to be more willing to handle criticism than China, and Americans are, in my view, very thinned skin when it comes to criticism of their culture and policies.

 

In this case, given what China has done to Tibet, the criticism, even if only implied, is well deserved.

 

Bush to meet with Dalai Lama today

Congressional award and presidential visit angers China

 

China warns that a planned White House meeting Tuesday between Bush and the Dalai Lama and a public ceremony Wednesday to award the spiritual leader the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal are bad for U.S.-Chinese ties.

"We are certainly very much displeasured and regret the fact that the U.S. side would totally ignore the repeated positions of the Chinese side and go ahead with its erroneous decision," Wang said in an interview. "Such moves on the U.S. side are not a good thing for the bilateral relationship."

In Beijing, a government official on Tuesday also criticized the U.S. plans.

"The move will seriously damage China-U.S. relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. Liu did not specify how relations would be damaged if the award does take place.

He told a regular news conference that China hoped the U.S. would "correct its mistakes and cancel relevant arrangements and stop interfering in the internal affairs of China."

Honoring the Dalai Lama is no mistake, and the internal affairs of China are abysmal.  If China would end its repression, the critisim will end.  Perhaps they should stop worrying about US internal affairs and correct their own mistakes.