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SINO-EU TIES HIJACKED BY TIBET ISSUE

Jian Junbo

Asia Times, March 27, 2009

SHANGHAI - This month, the European Union (EU) parliament passed a resolution on the Tibet issue, urging the Chinese government to resume dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile, the Dalai Lama, for "real autonomy for Tibet". However, a Chinese government spokesperson immediately rejected this, saying the call was interference in China's "internal affairs".

Not only the EU, but also all of its member states acknowledge that the Tibet Autonomous Region is a part of China, and they all adhere to the "one-China" policy, at least according to their laws and official statements.

This raises the question of why the EU parliament would endorse such a resolution when it was bound to be rejected by China, especially in the current economic climate, when the EU wants to build closer relations with China?

Firstly, the issue of human rights will always carry weight in the EU's foreign policy, and the Tibet issue fits into this category, that is, China's Tibet policy is perceived as human rights abuse. Moreover, the EU parliament passed the resolution on March 10, the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan armed uprising against Chinese rule, which ended with the Dalai Lama's fleeing Tibet for India, where he resides to this day.

So, for the EU parliament, it was a convenient date to bring up the Tibet issue. By doing this the EU could display its image of "normative power", while also showing that it has the resources and will to spread its Western values to other countries even when the world economy is in recession.

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