Chinese officials object to British delegation wearing poppies
CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
BEIJING— The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 5:33AM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 6:08AM EST
A British official says Chinese diplomats objected to the wearing of silk Remembrance Day poppies by Prime Minister David Cameron and members of his delegation during meetings in Beijing.
The diplomats stated the poppies would be offensive because they are a reminder of the 19th century Opium Wars in which British forces defeated Chinese troops on their own soil, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The British side told the Chinese the poppies were an important way of honouring the armed forces, veterans, and the fallen, the official said.
“We informed them that they mean a great deal to us and we would be wearing them all the same,” he said.
The wearing of poppies is a decades old tradition and is not known to be considered offensive in China.
Remembrance Day, Britain's annual commemoration of the country's war dead, is Thursday.
From my very limited knowledge of Chinese history. If it was not for the Opium War, China wouldn't have been so weak against the Japanese during WWI/WWII time-span. If it was not for the Opium which the Europeans, particularly British, insisted to import into China illegally, China might not have lost the Opium War.
In fact, before the advent of Opium trade, the British have massive trade deficit against China and had net negative silver flow against China in order to purcahse Chinese goods. The British themselves deemed Opium sales illegal in domestic Britain, but ignored Chinese law and turned a blind eye on the export and smuggling of Opium into China. When heavy handed law enforcement cracked against Opium operations, the European military allied against China, instigating the Opium War to ensure that they will be in a trade positive position against China. The result is well known. The era of the Chinese dynasties ended, China was weak and divided. Land was leased to the British and Macau for a 100 years to facilitate European trade. Even the Japanese couldn't occupy Chinese land for 100 years as a result of WWII.
The Japanese definately are war criminals. Can't say the Europeans are any better when it comes to dividing and conquering China via drugs and warfare. The Europeans should study some history and understand what their ancestors have done and maybe a little more politically sensitive.
發表於 2010-11-10 12:21
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