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(原文英语版)
The Olympic Lever
2008/03/17
BERLIN/BEIJING
(own report) – Berlin is using the upheaval in thewestern region of the People's Republic of China to pursue its campaignof attrition against Beijing. German Chancellor Angela Merkel isdemanding that the Chinese government enter a "dialog" with the DalaiLama, the most famous leader of the Tibetan secessionists. Roland Koch,prime minister of the German federal state of Hesse, would like to haveinternational observers sent to Lhasa and does not exclude a boycott ofthe coming Olympic games. Since last year German politicians have beenusing the Olympic games as a means of applying pressure to force achange in Chinese policy toward Tibet and a destabilization ofBeijing's control over Western China. This plan was the focal point ofevents organized last year by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, anaffiliate of the Free Democratic Party, and a working group in theGerman parliament (Bundestag). Beijing gambled and lost with itspreparations for the Olympics, alleges a government advisor in Berlin.The rising East Asian rival will be in a worse position after the gamesthan it had been before.
German politicians' current interference in thedomestic affairs of the People's Republic of China are based on therecent unrest in the Western Chinese region of Tibet. For the past fewdays there have been serious conflicts between secessionists andChinese state power. The Secessionists are attacking businesses andinstitutions, whose owners or sponsors speak the standard Chineselanguage, and are waging pitched battles with the police. Numerousdeaths have been reported. In this conflict, Beijing's sovereignty overthe west of its territory is in jeopardy - and so is the influentialpotential of this ascending world power.
Valorization
Berlin is using the conflict to weaken China.Chancellor Merkel is demanding a direct "dialog" between Beijing andthe Dalai Lama – a valorization of the Tibetan secessionist leader,having personally laid the groundwork last fall, with an invitation tothe god-king for talks in the German Chancellery. That meeting was partof the Dalai Lama's tour of several western capitals, ending in Octoberin Washington DC, with the leader of the Tibetan exile government beingelevated, in the international arena, to the counterpart of the Chinesegovernment. The public relations and subversive actions placing intoquestion Beijing's sovereignty over its western territories or evendeclaring this sovereignty "illegitimate," will be continued with theDalai Lama's next visit to Germany in May.
"Team Tibet"
Berlin is tactically using Chinese preparations forthe coming Olympic Games. A "Tibet-Conference" was held in Brussels, atthe invitation of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, already last May.It was "the most political" conference ever held on the Tibet question,was the opinion heard in the Belgium capital. "This was also due to theopportunities that the Olympic Games (...) open to the Tibetans andwhich were also examined in Brussels."[1] A few months later, inNovember last year, the "Tibet Discussion Group in the GermanBundestag" organized a meeting on "Tibet and the Olympic Games".According to a report on the meeting, the discussion focused "mainly onthe question, if the Olympic Games could offer a lever for influencingChina's Tibet policy."[2] "This is quite possible," declared the DalaiLama's European representative on record. At the meeting in the Germancapital, the parliamentarians were introduced to the "Team TibetProject" that "is aiming to send its own Tibetan team to the BeijingOlympics". This is an open provocation, seeking to use an apparentapolitical sportive event as a platform for discussing Tibetansovereignty.
"Gambled and Lost"
The Olympic Games are used as a means of applyingpressure to force Beijing onto its defensive from its rise to worldpower status. The Olympic Games will particularly expose "grievances inChina" to the world's public and will harm more than help the People'sRepublic, A German government official speculated already lastNovember. Beijing "gambled and lost" with the Olympic Games.[3]According to the prime minister of Hesse Roland Koch, a boycott of theOlympic Games could be the West's "last resort", if the Chinesegovernment prevails over the Tibetan secessionists. Even though "lastresorts"[4] are not yet in play, the discussion of a boycott has longsince been initiated.
Secessionist Policies
Supporting extensive autonomy rights for Tibet andeven its secession is in line with the traditional German East Asiapolicy. Already in the 1930s and 1940s, Berlin considered this regionto be an important base for expanding its influence toward China.[5]Since the mid 1980s, Germany has been reviving this strategy, andorganizations of German "Volksgruppen" (ethnic group) policy are amongthose actively promoting a "free Tibet"[6]. The secessionist policy isalso aimed at other vast regions of China (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang).Fearing its future power, Berlin is seeking to weaken its ascendingEast Asian rival. Last fall, german-foreign-policy.com published aseries of special reports on the history and presence of German Tibetpolicy. Because of the current events we are providing free access tothose analyses over the next few weeks. Click here to find Strategiesof Attrition (I), (II), (III) and (IV).
[1] s. also Strategies of Attrition (I)
[2], [3] Protokoll der Veranstaltung "Tibet und Olympia - Dieolympischen Spiele in China - Chance oder Risiko?" am 14. November 2007in der Vertretung des Landes Hessen beim Bund
[4] Roland Koch: "Boykott ist letztes Mittel"; Financial Times Deutschland 17.03.2008
[5] s. also Strategies of Attrition (II)
[6] s. also Strategies of Attrition (III)
链接:
http://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/56143
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