Brussels, 26/11/2008 (Agence Europe) -China has decided to postpone its summit with the EU, which was due to take place in Lyons on Monday 1 December, in protest against the meeting between the current president of the European Council, Nicolas Sarkozy, with the Dalai Lama in Poland on 6 December. A Council press release explains that the Chinese gave as their reason for requesting the postponement of the summit "the fact that the Dalai Lama will at the same time be on a further visit to several countries of the Union and will take this opportunity to meet some of the heads of state and government of the member states of the EU and presidents of European institutions" (our translation). The Dalai Lama will be taking part in a meeting of Nobel peace prize winners, by invitation of Lech Walesa. "The EU takes note and regrets China's decision", the press release continues. Despite everything, the EU27 wish to "continue to promote the strategic partnership relations it has with China, particularly at a time when the global economic and financial situation calls for very close cooperation between Europe and China". No new date has been set for the summit.
In the view of MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA), China's decision shows "that the whole EU strategy of getting down on their knees before them ahead of the Olympic Games has well and truly failed". "The Chinese are crazy! (...). We could have seen this coming: give them your little finger and they want your hand, and when you give them your hand, they demand your arm and when you give them your arm, they eat you whole. If we do not genuflect, they will force us onto our knees”, he said in a press release (our translation). (H.B./transl.fl)