Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: john_peter maher To: john_peter maher Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 4:55 PM Subject: FWD INDEPENDENT View from China ON OUR MAPS NO ETS; OUR MAPS OUT OF DATE "President Bush asked the terrorists why they destroyed the World Trade Centre. The terrorists replied: Sorry, there's no World Trade Centre on these maps of ours. They must be out of date.' " The Independent (London) September 22, 2001, Saturday COMMENT/Letters LETTER: VIEW FROM CHINA Sir: Our leaders should be wary of making more enemies than they can kill. I live in China, and have observed the reactions of many ordinary Chinese people to the news that Jiang Zemin has offered support to the anti-terrorist coalition. Most oppose him. There are some feelings of sympathy for the Americans and others who died in the catastrophe, but there are jokes about the attack - "President Bush asked the terrorists why they destroyed the World Trade Centre. The terrorists replied: Sorry, there's no World Trade Centre on these maps of ours. They must be out of date.' " (This is a reference to the excuse the US government gave for the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.) A minority are much more anti-American. "The United Nations should give bin Laden a medal!" said one Shanghai taxi driver. "Japan should be next on the list for bombing targets, with Britain next." The majority reaction is less extreme, but I do not know a single Chinese person who doesn't believe this is a much-needed lesson to America to stop interfering in foreign countries. Americans are kidding themselves that the deaths of 5,000 people and the destruction of two famous buildings is a big shock to everyone in the world and that anyone who doesn't sympathise with them is callous or stupid. The most intelligent and kind-hearted Chinese people I know still feel that their government should not have offered support. There are reports that certain American journalists have complained that China did not fly its national flag at half-mast. "Why the **** should we lower the red flag for them?" was a comment I heard from a normally sweet-tempered secretary. China is having to play a balancing act between its own fear of insurgents (it has had problems with Muslim and Tibetan guerrillas and terrorists) and its dislike of international military adventurism, which it has consistently opposed for the last 20 years. This is not to say that China cannot be persuaded. Much of the anti-American sentiment has been created by the state-run media, which constantly depicts America as a bully, at least in international affairs. If Western leaders remember to consult with the Chinese government and maybe even act upon some of its suggestions, maybe Beijing will take up more of a co-operative stance. But side-lining China might well turn it against us. Let's not underestimate the importance of this, in a country where, this month, a new law on adult male conscription came into force. NICOLAS GROFFMAN Shanghai ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://TOPICA.COM/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
