A sovereign state should act like a sovereign state, nuff said.
A sovereign state should act like a sovereign state, nuff said.
Wonder how far back this sets relations between the two countries? Or, for the PRC-minded, between the one country and the renegade, non-sovereign outpost in the ocean.
Doubt it will affect too much - Ma managed to repair damaged feelings within six months after relations hit rock bottom (and digging) during the 8 years of DPP reign...
From what I've read in the papers China seems to be saying that the Dalai Lama is trying to rouse more separatist sentiment [in Taiwan], rather than Taiwan harboring separatist movement Dalai Lama...which is a subtle, but rather significant difference.
I just hope that his presence will bring comfort to the victims of the tragedy and not just political farce...
I can see that difference as being huge in the eyes of Beijing, almost an ackowledgment that Ma is being forced to do something he would not otherwise have done. So everything is "okay".
So far it seems to be all political farce.
I think Ma should have approved the visit immediately, to avoid giving the impression he needs to get "permission" from Beijing.
No, he doesn't -- Taiwan is a sovereign government, as someone else remarked -- and it does him no good to behave as if he needs approval. The Dalai Lama has visited Taiwan several times before, to the anger of Beijing, and the only authority which has the decision on this is Taipei.