Posted on 04/27/2007 4:39:44 PM PDT by Cincinna
PARIS: French presidential front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged to press China on its human rights record if elected and said the Olympics will bring a "breath of liberty" to the Asian giant.
"We have the duty - I don't say right - the duty to ask questions of the status of political prisoners, of democracy," he told TF1 television on Wednesday.
He said he fully supported the holding of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"I consider that the sporting event is going to bring an extraordinary breath of freedom and that China will be forced to change," said Sarkozy.
His rival in France's May 6 presidential runoff vote, Socialist Segolene Royal, has urged France and the international community to lobby Beijing to put pressure on its trading partner, Sudan, over the violence in its Darfur region before the summer Games.
Royal said on Wednesday she would not rule out the possibility of a French boycott of the 2008 Olympics over the issue.
"The threat of (boycotting) the Olympic Games must be taken up," she said in an interview on France-television. "We know that China is an important player in that part of the world. I think there need to be very firm threats."
Sarkozy said Sudanese leaders will have to answer before international law.
http://frenchelection2007.blogspot.com
Olympic athlete? Vote Sarkozy.
UMP candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has likely just won over a very small and inconsequential group of French voters: Olympic athletes.
Socialist candidate Segolene Royal has recently echoed former challenger Francois Bayrou in saying that a boycott of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing is possible if China does not act to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, something not done since the US and Soviet Union held their respective boycotts during the Cold War. While Nicolas Sarkozy has also said that China and Sudan must do more to promote human rights, he has also said that he would not boycott the Olympic games.
"We have the duty - I don't say right - the duty to ask questions of the status of political prisoners, of democracy. (...) I consider that the sporting event is going to bring an extraordinary breath of freedom and that China will be forced to change."
Like the French would win much anyway.
This declaration from Royal has broad foreign policy implications for France.
It is not as, Boz suggests, about winning over a few sports fans.
It points out once again, Royal’s inexperience and lack of depth and vision in Foreign Policy. Will a call for a boycott of Israel be next?
It shows how dangerous Royal is. A loose cannon who will say il n’importe quoi to get elected, regardless of the consequences.
Sarkozy will have to answer? Did Sarkozy do it or did the Sudan do it?
Wait...now I get it. Bush did it!
Imagine if the Greeks did this to one another every time the Olympics came up - we probably wouldn't have any Olympics today and the arc of history would likely be very different than it is.
France does pretty well, usually, in events like fencing, equestrian, etc. There have been some good French runners too.
France generally does better in the winter sports. It’s the Mont Blanc thing.
This is the crap Carter pulled over the ‘80 Olympics. The only people that were hurt were all the Olympic athletes who worked their butts off for 4 years only to have the carpet yanked out from under their feet by an extra-chromosome rodent President. These stupid boycotts never work, and certainly do nothing to harm their intended targets.
A boycott of the Olympics is China makes no sense for France, who is an important trading partner of China.
To quote the words of the late, great, Bob Bartley, “free markets make free people”.
“an extra-chromosome rodent President.”
Maybe THAT’S why the “killer bunny” swam out into the lake to attack President Carter. (Remember that?)
Rabbit must’ve been confused by the lapine pheremones.
Also the modern Olympics were founded by a Frenchman. The HQ of the Olympics is in the French part of Switzerland in Lausanne. Politics has always been a part of the Olympics. The suggestion that no national flags anthems etc be used has never happened because interest would drop to almost nothing.
I’m surprised Carter didn’t blame some Jewish/Israeli conspiracy for the bunny’s “attack.”
For one, would Beijing even care what France does? Even if they did and tried to persuade Sudan, would Sudan care? If Sudan did care, would that change anything?
Too many moving parts, each dependent on the other parts. But again, why politicize it?
I hope Royal doesn't get elected and I hope they don't boycott it, it'll be nice to see France participate along with everyone else, and to see Sarkozy at the helm.
That seems to be Sarkozy’s point as well. Is that point lost on Royal? It would appear so.
Wow, I’m surprised she is criticizing China. She was certainly kissing up in January when she mentioned that she was impressed that they have such a ‘fast’ legal system. Is there anything this woman won’t do for short term political gain?
The late Bob Bartley, Editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal, and the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page before that, is one of America’s most outstanding and respected Conservative thinkers.
Right on China, free markets, and most other things as well.
Democracy will emerge once a “mature socialist system” develops but that might not happen for up to 100 years, Premier Wen Jiabao wrote in an article in the People’s Daily, the main Communist Party newspaper.
For now, China must focus on “sustained rapid growth of productive forces … to finally secure fairness and social justice that lies within the essence of socialism,” Wen wrote.
“Is there anything this woman won’t do for short term political gain?”
Yes. She categorically, systematically, unbendingly, inerrantly and steadfastly refuses to stop putting her foot in her mouth for short term political gain. A serene, sunny, silent Royal who said nothing of substance would be infinitely more electable than the Royal who also says nothing of substance, but such a great deal of it.
Remember, France was supposed to get the 2012 Summer Olympics in Paris until their leader started to make fun of British food and of food from other European countries. Days later, those who voted in the Olympic Committee decided to give the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to London instead. I guess that France has still never recovered from this mistake.
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