Dalai Lama Was a Slave Master, China Tells Obama
The conviction was clear but the message befuddling: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman was equating serfdom in Tibet to slavery in the U.S. — just ahead of President Barack Obama’s first trip to China.
Was it a monumental gaffe, last-minute stab at finding a common frame of reference, or a canny piece of strategy designed to redefine the U.S.-China dispute over Tibet?
Whatever the motivation or intended effect, the response so far probably won’t be to Beijing’s liking. Among academics, activists and commentators, the remarks have been labeled illogical, ignorant, and even insensitive.
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