Dalai Lama goads China as Beijing threatens Sarkozy over meeting

The Times ^ | 12/5/2008 | David Charter

[bruinbirdman]

Beijing raised the spectre of trade sanctions against France yesterday to threaten President Sarkozy's plan to meet the Dalai Lama. The coded warning came on the day that the Tibetan spiritual leader was fêted by the European Parliament.

China has already pulled out of this week's annual summit and business forum with the EU in protest at Mr Sarkozy's plans to see the 73-year-old Tibetan exile in Poland tomorrow at a celebration honouring Nobel Peace Prize winners.

In Brussels the Dalai Lama goaded China with the charge that it would never be seen as a superpower unless it improved its moral authority.

MEPs applauded his speech and raised the stakes further by demanding that the issue of Tibet feature on the agenda of future EU/China discussions.

China deserved to be a superpower, the Dalai Lama said, given its huge population and economic and military strength.

He added, however: “One important factor is moral authority and that is lacking. Because of its very poor record on human rights and religious freedom and freedom of expression and freedom of the press — too much censorship — the image of China in the field of moral authority is very, very poor.”

To the annoyance of Beijing the support of MEPs for the Tibetan leader was unequivocal. “It is our duty to help his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama so that his people have a good future,” said Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of the European Parliament.

“I hope within the near future there will be a summit between the EU and China and of course that the issue of Tibet will be a part of that summit,” he added.

In Beijing a senior official warned France against “an impact on the long-term development of ties.” In the latest escalation of pressure on Mr Sarkozy