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Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Italy seeks to placate China after Rome honours Dalai Lama
Italy reaffirmed its “strong support” for China yesterday after the city of Rome made exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.
Italy seeks to placate China after Rome honours Dalai Lama
Agencies in Rome and Beijing 11 February 2009
Italy reaffirmed its “strong support” for China yesterday after the city of Rome made exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.
The Italian Foreign Ministry reasserted the country’s “strong support of the Italian government for the one-China policy”, it said in a statement.
“Italian cities are autonomous and make decisions completely independently of the government,” the statement said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu voiced “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” over the honour earlier in the day.
“We hope the Italian side takes seriously China’s concerns and takes effective measures immediately to eliminate the negative impact and safeguard the sound development of bilateral relations,” she said.
The one-China policy usually refers to Beijing’s insistence that diplomatic allies oppose independence for Taiwan, but also can refer to perceived separatist aspirations in Tibet.
During the ceremony on Monday in Rome, Mayor Gianni Alemanno expressed support for the Dalai Lama’s struggle for Tibetan autonomy, saying: “We stand by you and strongly demand the full recognition of the autonomy of the Tibetan nation.”
He said the city of Rome rejected “injustice, violence and repression ... aimed at defending a people’s identity and the right of each of us to express our spirituality and culture”.
Mr. Alemanno is a far-right member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party.
Beijing cancelled a China-EU summit last year, angry over French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama at a 25th anniversary observance to mark former Polish president Lech Walesa’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize. Earlier last year, the Paris city council decided to make the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of the French capital.
Demonstrations by monks in Lhasa last March escalated into deadly riots and triggered protests against Chinese rule across the Tibetan plateau.
Beijing blamed the unrest on the Dalai Lama, whom it brands a separatist. The Dalai Lama denies the allegation, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for the region.
“Tibet is an inseparable part of China,” Ms. Jiang said. “He is not a simple religious figure,” she added, referring to the Dalai Lama.
“He wears a religious signboard, and has for a long time been a political exile engaging in separatist political activities.”
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Italy seeks to placate China after Rome honours Dalai Lama
Agencies in Rome and Beijing
11 February 2009
Italy reaffirmed its “strong support” for China yesterday after the city of Rome made exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.
The Italian Foreign Ministry reasserted the country’s “strong support of the Italian government for the one-China policy”, it said in a statement.
“Italian cities are autonomous and make decisions completely independently of the government,” the statement said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu voiced “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” over the honour earlier in the day.
“We hope the Italian side takes seriously China’s concerns and takes effective measures immediately to eliminate the negative impact and safeguard the sound development of bilateral relations,” she said.
The one-China policy usually refers to Beijing’s insistence that diplomatic allies oppose independence for Taiwan, but also can refer to perceived separatist aspirations in Tibet.
During the ceremony on Monday in Rome, Mayor Gianni Alemanno expressed support for the Dalai Lama’s struggle for Tibetan autonomy, saying: “We stand by you and strongly demand the full recognition of the autonomy of the Tibetan nation.”
He said the city of Rome rejected “injustice, violence and repression ... aimed at defending a people’s identity and the right of each of us to express our spirituality and culture”.
Mr. Alemanno is a far-right member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party.
Beijing cancelled a China-EU summit last year, angry over French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama at a 25th anniversary observance to mark former Polish president Lech Walesa’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize. Earlier last year, the Paris city council decided to make the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of the French capital.
Demonstrations by monks in Lhasa last March escalated into deadly riots and triggered protests against Chinese rule across the Tibetan plateau.
Beijing blamed the unrest on the Dalai Lama, whom it brands a separatist. The Dalai Lama denies the allegation, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for the region.
“Tibet is an inseparable part of China,” Ms. Jiang said. “He is not a simple religious figure,” she added, referring to the Dalai Lama.
“He wears a religious signboard, and has for a long time been a political exile engaging in separatist political activities.”
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