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Sarkozy tries to mend China ties

Mon Apr 21 13:50:38 UTC 2008

French capital honours Dalai Lama

Mon Apr 21 21:20:49 UTC 2008

France's president has expressed sympathy for a disabled Chinese athlete who was jostled by a pro-Tibet activist as she held the Olympic torch in Paris.

The Dalai Lama has been made an honorary citizen of Paris, as anti-French protests continue in China.

Paris city council voted to bestow the symbolic title on the Tibetan spiritual leader, whom Mayor Bertrand Delanoe called "a champion of peace".
The move was opposed by the party of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been trying to ease tense ties with Beijing.
Chinese protesters have been picketing French supermarket Carrefour, accusing it of supporting the Dalai Lama.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting unrest in Tibet - claims he has denied.
Chinese officials are launching a two-month "patriotic education" in Tibet, in which Communist Party officials and local people will gather to denounce the spiritual leader.
Paris wants to show its support for the people of Tibet
Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe
China seeks to 'educate' Tibetans
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, insists he has no political role and played no part in the protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks that erupted into rioting in the main city Lhasa last month.
But he condemned the Chinese crackdown that followed, and accused Beijing of committing "cultural genocide" in Tibet.
Tibetan sympathisers and human rights activists have since used the worldwide tour of the Olympic torch to protest against Beijing's hosting of the Olympic Games this August.
Mayor Delanoe said in honouring the Dalai Lama, Paris wanted "to show its support for the people of Tibet who are defending their most basic right to dignity, freedom and simply life".
'Outstanding courage'
The gesture came as France's president expressed sympathy for a disabled Chinese athlete who was jostled by a pro-Tibetan activist as she held the Olympic torch in Paris.
Christian Poncelet of the French Senate delivered the letter to Ms Jin
In a letter to 27-year-old Paralympian fencer Jin Jing, Nicolas Sarkozy told her she had shown "outstanding courage" in the face of the assault. In a letter to 27-year-old Paralympian fencer Jin Jing, Nicolas Sarkozy told her she had shown "outstanding courage" in the face of the assault.
The Paris incident sparked an outburst of anti-France protests in China. "I want to assure you that the incidents staged by a few people on this sad day don't reflect the feelings of my fellow countrymen for the Chinese people," Mr Sarkozy wrote.
Meanwhile, Paris city council says it will honour the Dalai Lama - a move certain to anger Chinese officials.The Paris incident was the catalyst that sparked an outburst of anti-French protests in China.
Bertrand Delanoe, the Socialist mayor of Paris, announced he would make the Tibetan spiritual leader an honorary citizen. Online activists there have spent weeks urging a boycott of French goods.
He said it would "pay tribute to a champion of peace - a tireless advocate of dialogue between peoples". Over the weekend thousands of people demonstrated outside Carrefour stores in China.
Beijing holds the Dalai Lama responsible for the violent unrest that swept through Tibetan communities in China during March - an allegation he strongly denies. The company has issued a statement denying that it supports the Dalai Lama, and declaring support for the Beijing Olympics.
State-run media reported on Monday that officials are launching a two-month "patriotic education" in Tibet where Communist Party officials and local people will gather to denounce the spiritual leader.
'Deep feeling'
The progress of the Olympic torch on its world tour has been beset by problems.
In London, Paris and San Francisco sizeable groups of protesters expressed indignation at Beijing's Tibetan policies.
The incidents that were brought about by a few people on this sad day don't reflect the feelings of my fellow countrymen for the Chinese people
Nicolas Sarkozy
A protester in Paris tried to snatch the torch from Ms Jin, who was carrying it in her wheelchair on its Paris leg.
She was hailed as a hero in China's state-run media for the way she dealt with the protests, with Xinhua news agency describing her as a "smiling wheelchaired angel".
Mr Sarkozy's letter was handed to Ms Jin by Christian Poncelet, French Senate president, in front of the cameras in her home city of Shanghai.
"I would like to express to you my deep feeling about the way you were jostled in Paris on 7 April when you were holding the Olympic flame," Mr Sarkozy's letter stated.
"I want to assure you that the incidents staged by a few people on this sad day don't reflect the feelings of my fellow countrymen for the Chinese people."
Ms Jin was invited to visit France as a personal guest of the president.
The apology came after Chinese online activists have spent weeks urging a boycott of French goods.