China is a country I decided years ago I would boycott and never visit because of my sympathetic alliance and fondness of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. In 1951, China invaded the small peaceful country of Tibet. In 1959, the Dalai Lama, fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt, fled over the Himalaya mountains to Dharamsala, India, which is still his current home. Since then, there has been many threats from the Chinese government against the Dalai Lama and those who are his allies.
Well, the boycott had ended and I am traveling to China on business. I have really mixed feelings and am conflicted about this, but in the end have succumbed in order to meet with work colleagues. I realize it is the Chinese government, and not my work colleagues, who invaded Tibet, but my heart aches for what happened to the Tibetan people.
You're going in with the right attitude, Rhonda: you can't blame the people for the actions of its government. It's why Americans are so hated - and misunderstood - in other countries we visit.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to find out what the average Chinese thinks of the situation, if they think of it at all.