Der Shitfit, or the state of Sino-German relations

Honestly, when China threw a shitfit after German chancellor Merkel met the Dalai Lama, we really didn't give a hoot, in part because we've given up on seeing our dream of Tibetan secession realized in our lifetimes. But one thing you might not have known is that this diplomatic contretemps spilled over to affect our fair city. There was supposed to be a week long symposium sponsored by Der Spiegel at the Duolun Museum of Art—held around now—which was axed because of this incident. If you've been following the news you might have read about several meetings between German and Chinese ministers and politicians that have been canceled as well.

This row has pissed off the German business community, who are among the groups pressuring Angela Merkel to mend ties with Beijing, which have gotten so low that a Chinese diplomat likened it to an "ice-age". This is chill makes for an obviously stark contrast with the situation of the French, for whom Sarko helped garner nearly $30 billion in contracts for, in part, we surmise, by keeping his mouth shut about human rights, instead urging Beijing to do stuff like develop in a more environmentally friendly way.

The Times Online reports:

France, which has one of the biggest trade deficits with China, wants to become “the locomotive of the European train” in relations with China, an aide to Mr Sarkozy said. Another senior official said: “We would like to establish strong relations with China at a moment when relations between Beijing and certain Western countries have become more tense.” This was an allusion to strains between Berlin and Beijing after Chancellor Angela Mer-kel met the Dalai Lama in September.

Photo frm rp-online.de