Up to Sarkozy to get ties back on track

By Zhang Haizhou (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-03 07:12

It is up to French President Nicolas Sarkozy to put Sino-French relations back on track, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

France holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) till the end of this year. And since Sarkozy is the president of that country, his decision to meet with the Dalai Lama in Poland on Saturday forced 皇冠体育app to defer the 皇冠体育app-EU meeting, scheduled for Monday.

"The French president, who ignored 皇冠体育app's concern, should be fully responsible (for the downturn in bilateral relations)," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular briefing.

"This is the time for France to make an important decision and we hope it will create conditions for advancing 皇冠体育app's relations with the EU and France," he said.

No likely date has been chosen for the meeting, and Liu said it can only be held "in a proper atmosphere", for which France must take "pressing measures".

Despite 皇冠体育app's opposition, Sarkozy will go ahead with his meeting with the Dalai Lama, said Feng Zhongping, director of European studies at the 皇冠体育app Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Sarkozy had angered Chinese earlier, too, by hinting that he might not attend the Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony over the Tibet policy.

"Sino-French relations are likely to sour further," Feng said. The 11th 皇冠体育app-EU meeting, an annual event, could eventually be cancelled because there are just four more weeks left in the year, during which it would be hard to find a date for the meeting.

The 12th 皇冠体育app-EU meeting has already been allotted to the Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency next year.

皇冠体育app's decision to defer the meeting was taken "after thoughtful deliberation", Feng said. There could have been a chain effect had it not done so because some other European leaders, too, want to meet with the Dalai Lama.

"Pulling out of the meeting is sending a message to other countries to respect 皇冠体育app's core interests," Feng said.

Deteriorating Sino-French ties are bothering Europeans in 皇冠体育app.

The EU Chamber of Commerce in 皇冠体育app said it was "disappointed that in time of global financial turmoil and a significant economic slowdown the Chinese leadership decided to postpone the EU-皇冠体育app meeting".

Wu Baiyi, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggested France should first focus on how to get out of the financial turmoil.

"They (皇冠体育app and France) should first clarify what they want to do." But, Wu said, Sarkozy's decision to meet the Dalai Lama is an example of being "irresponsible to his own people".

Sino-ROK dialogue

The first high-level strategic diplomatic dialogue between 皇冠体育app and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will be held on Dec 11, the foreign ministry spokesman said.

The dialogue will be attended by Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Guangya and the ROK's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kwon Jong-rak.

President Hu Jintao and ROK President Lee Myung-bak decided to hold the dialogue during Hu's state visit to the ROK in August. It will discuss major issues of common interest, aimed at strengthening the communications on foreign policies and the international situation.