Harper stands firm on human rights in china

[JLM]

China is our second biggest trading partner. A visit once or twice a decade to publicly lecture them about human rights is insulting and dumb.

Beyond possibly mentioning a word or two about Canadians philosophy on human rights should Harper be trying to force our philosophy on them? Maybe he should just confine his efforts to encouraging trade and commerce and just mind his own business about how they run their country. Democracy may not work for everyone.

 

[countryboy]

Harper either knowingly supported a war crime or he was too stupid to figure it out. Either way, it proves he's not qualified for the PM's job.

BTW, figuring it out wasn't that hard. All you had to do was read UNMOVIC's inspection reports. For example this report delivered just two weeks before the US invaded:
Security Council 7 March 2003

and understand the difference between definitive proof and unsubstantiated allegations.

I notice that the same people who supported the 2003 Iraq war crime also support Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity now. When are people going to wise up?

Well, let's face it...some of us are just poor stupid mortals trying to do our best. We realize we're not perfect and sometimes even make mistakes...heaven forbid.

And a few of us even realize that having a big visible job like PM ain't the easiest assignment in the country. We even suspect that we might not be able to do the job as well as Mr. Harper. Of course, we do have opinions on what he does and how he does it, and we certainly don't agree with him on everything.

Heck, some of who have travelled a bit even realize how much of a grind that can be, given the differences in time zones, food, language, etc. Just surviving the physical aspects of the trip can be a challenge.

But of course, we're just dumb slobs that aren't nearly as eloquent as those perfect individuals who have all the answers and don't mind criticizing anything they see, at the drop of a hat.

However, we are all the voters and I guess more of us agree with him than not, or else he wouldn't be the one making that trip and representing us so poorly in China.

Don't overlook one thing though...the CBC and others cannot and will not tell you that the Chinese would have far more time for a conservative type like Mr. Harper than they would for a liberal PM. Far more.

And don't for a minute buy the media line about him "losing face" with them...quite the opposite. The fact that he showed up and faced the music up front bought him (and us) more points that you'll ever know about. The fact that he didn't go overboard on reading those guys the riot act on human rights also went a long way to opening things up with them. The last thing you'd want to do is come bashing your way into town, sprouting off about how great we are in the human rights department and telling them how they should be doing things...oh no, that would pretty much shut the rest of the trip (and the ongoing relationship) down in a big hurry. In fact, he came away with a big tangible result - we're on the official tourism list now.

Doing business in the Far East requires some very detailed knowledge about the cultural nuances, and I was quite pleasantly surprised to see how well Mr. Harper did perform on that stage. He is a very respectable representative of our country and I for one am proud of how he conducted himself over there.

 

[Avro]

I've proven the bolded statement is complete rubbish.

Harper and his government consistently give the US and Israel a free pass on human rights. Currently Harper and his government are trying to cover up their role in the torture and abuse of Afghan detainees. Harper and his government aren't even capable of sticking up for the human rights of Canadians (Khadr is but one well known example).

Then the guy goes to China and claims he and his government "won't back off on human rights". BS!

Either you support human rights or you don't.

I saw part of Harper's speech, critical of the Chinese government human rights record, in front of a group of business leaders in Shanghai. It was ridiculous. Harper has about as much legitimacy criticizing another country for their human rights record as George "Texecutioner" Bush or Ariel "Butcher of Beruit" Sharon. Judging from the stony and icy expressions on the faces in the audience, I doubt they bought it. That speech was purely for domestic consumption and will have no impact on China. If Canada wants good trade relations with our second biggest trading partner, then we have to send trade delegations more than once or twice a decade. If Canada wants the Chinese to visit Canada during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, then Harper and his government should not have boycotted the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Harper is so ignorant about China/Canada relations, he didn't even bother to mention the contribution of Canadians to China like Dr. Norman Bethune:

Chinese still cherish memory of Norman Bethune
People's Daily Online -- Chinese still cherish memory of Norman Bethune

He should have contributed a statue of Bethune to China and unveiled it on the first day of his trip, setting a positive tone and gaining PR points.

Harper should have went to China in 2008 and established a friendly rapport with Chinese officials. On this recent trip, he should have publicly emphasized Canada's long relationship with China, the contributions of Chinese Canadians to Canada and promoted trade. He should have raised the issue of human rights in private and offered help. China's criminal justice system is a mess and they need reforms. He could have invited Chinese officials to Canada to see a functioning criminal justice system and witness Canada's diverse cultures living together peacefully.

Harper's performance in China was amaturish and embarassing.

Its time to get rid of Harper and his government and elect someone who is consistent regarding human rights and represents the interests of Canada, Canadian trade and Canadians.

So do you support human rights or not? Seems to me you want Canada to cozy up to China and finger wave at Isreal and the U.S. our biggest trading partner.

 

[Avro]

I was disgusted watching as the Chinese slapped Harper's wrosts....yeah, we need lectures from the world's biggest bunch of mass murderers.I'd have told the scumball to go piss in his hat, and been outta there!!!!!!!!!

Good thing you will never be PM and our current PM has more sense than that.

 

[Avro]

How about, instead of endless cut n paste BS, you kick start your own cranial contents, and engage in some real debate.First of all, Israel was and is defending herself. Full stop.Secondly, Israel has, in 62 years of strife that has included numerous wars, killed less tha 100,000 most of them foreign military enemies, killed in war ...........China, in 60 years has murdered 50 million plus of its own people.I agree it is time Khadr was brought home, and I have some sympathy with the view of him as a child soldier........I do not view him as innocent.......nor do I feel Canada owes him any debt......Israel is an inspiration.........an island of sanity surrounded by enemies and lunatics......Your comparison of Israel and China is ludicrous.

Your belief that Israel is never at fault is equally ludicrous.:roll:

 

[Colpy]

Good thing you will never be PM .

True. True.

 

[earth_as_one]

So do you support human rights or not? Seems to me you want Canada to cozy up to China and finger wave at Isreal and the U.S. our biggest trading partner.

:roll:

I never claimed that the PM should be rude to anyone, including the US and Israel. Nor did I claim that Canada should ignore China's human rights record.

But the PM's statement that "...he and his government won't back off on human rights..." is complete BS given his record.

Harper's huffing and puffing about China's human rights record falls flat because he supports Israeli and American human rights abuses, even when the victims are Canadians.

 

[TenPenny]

Go stand in the middle of Tiananmen Square, and tell me what you think about human rights.

 

[Colpy]

Go stand in the middle of Tiananmen Square, and tell me what you think about human rights.

Ten Penny is once again right on the dime!!!But do you know what I would REALLY like?A thread where we could discuss foreign policy WITHOUT mentioning Israel....Good Lord!EaO's obsession gets a little......overwhelming at times.

 

[earth_as_one]

Well, let's face it...some of us are just poor stupid mortals trying to do our best. We realize we're not perfect and sometimes even make mistakes...heaven forbid.

And a few of us even realize that having a big visible job like PM ain't the easiest assignment in the country. We even suspect that we might not be able to do the job as well as Mr. Harper. Of course, we do have opinions on what he does and how he does it, and we certainly don't agree with him on everything.

Heck, some of who have travelled a bit even realize how much of a grind that can be, given the differences in time zones, food, language, etc. Just surviving the physical aspects of the trip can be a challenge.

But of course, we're just dumb slobs that aren't nearly as eloquent as those perfect individuals who have all the answers and don't mind criticizing anything they see, at the drop of a hat.

However, we are all the voters and I guess more of us agree with him than not, or else he wouldn't be the one making that trip and representing us so poorly in China.

Don't overlook one thing though...the CBC and others cannot and will not tell you that the Chinese would have far more time for a conservative type like Mr. Harper than they would for a liberal PM. Far more.

And don't for a minute buy the media line about him "losing face" with them...quite the opposite. The fact that he showed up and faced the music up front bought him (and us) more points that you'll ever know about. The fact that he didn't go overboard on reading those guys the riot act on human rights also went a long way to opening things up with them. The last thing you'd want to do is come bashing your way into town, sprouting off about how great we are in the human rights department and telling them how they should be doing things...oh no, that would pretty much shut the rest of the trip (and the ongoing relationship) down in a big hurry. In fact, he came away with a big tangible result - we're on the official tourism list now.

Doing business in the Far East requires some very detailed knowledge about the cultural nuances, and I was quite pleasantly surprised to see how well Mr. Harper did perform on that stage. He is a very respectable representative of our country and I for one am proud of how he conducted himself over there.

Give me an example of how Harper impressed the Chinese. To me he looked awkward and uncomfortable. His Chinese hosts seemed borderline hostile.

What positive benefits did China get as a result of Harper's visit?

I know what we got from China:

1) They put us on the favored destination list. Mind you they should have given that to us a long time ago. Canada is among the last developed countries to make the list. Even Zimbabwe got on the list before Canada:

...China granted Zimbabwe the Approved Destination Status tourism green-light in 2004...
Africa Eyes China's Emerging Tourist Market

2) China lifted their embargo on Canadian pork imports resulting from H1N1.

3) China announced they would open a consulate office in Montreal.

I'd say Chinese gave us these things despite Harper, not because of him.

In return, Harper never even bothered to invite the Chinese to visit Canada.

But if you think Harper did such a wonderful job in China, then please list the positive benefits the Chinese got in return as a result of Harper's visit? As far as can tell Harper gave the Chinese nothing.

In comparison, Chretien made 17 trips to China in 13 years. He raised human rights issues, but he kept it low key and offered help. Here is an excerpt of a speech by the Chinese Ambassador from 2003:

Speech at the Canada-China Legislative Association Ambassador Mei Ping (March 29, 2000) 2003/10/13

...The Chinese Government is willing to accept good-natured criticism and suggestions so that we can further improve our human rights situation. However, there are people in some countries, particularly in the U.S. who are bent on accusing other countries of their human rights practice no matter what they do while in total disregard of their own human rights problems. China is for dialogue and against confrontation. But we will not yield to pressure or outside interference.

Canada and China have managed to address our differences while carrying out cooperation in this field. We appreciate Canada's position of discarding confrontation, carrying out dialogue and promoting cooperation. This has produced concrete results. Since 1996, our two countries have held five rounds of human rights dialogue, and two international seminars on legislative issues with other countries participating as observers. The NGOs of our two countries also took an active part in the vis-a-vis discussions. We have carried out projects to strengthen China's legal system and political reform. China has sent groups of judges and lawyers to Canada for further studies. Canada has sent a religious delegation to China, and we have invited your Minster of Immigration and Chief Justice to visit China to discuss ways of cooperation. We also have held discussions on human rights between our two legislative bodies during their respective visits. The practice by our two countries in the field of human rights is a proof that dialogue is instrumental in enhancing mutual understanding and narrowing divergence. Such dialogues have not only strengthened our bilateral cooperation in the field of human rights, but also benefited the healthy development of Sino-Canadian relations....

Speech at the Canada-China Legislative Association Ambassador Mei Ping (March 29, 2000)

No I don't agree with everything she said, but at least China is willing to admit they have human rights problems. No I don't think Harper's criticism has been good natured or constructive. No I don't think the Harper government has done a good job of promoting trade and tourism with China.

>>>>

This study shows that when it comes to Iraq and Saddam Hussein most people were stupid:
http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/IraqMedia_Oct03/IraqMedia_Oct03_rpt.pdf

It didn't take a genius to figure out the US was lying about Iraq. Most of the world outside the US and Canada knew it. Anyone who read UN weapon inspector reports knew it.
Security Council 7 March 2003

At the time of the US led invasion, allegations about Iraq's WMD stockpiles or links to al Qaeda were not supported by the balance of evidence or UN weapon inspections, let alone proven as many people believed at the time. The majority of people in Canada and the US demonstrated a lynch mob mentality. Motivated by media induced fear and anger, most people didn't give a thought to due process or rule of law. As a result a majority of Americans and a good number of Canadians supported this war crime.

Most people who base their opinions on network news were clueless. I'm willing to bet that most people who vote for Harper conservatives, also believed Iraq possessed WMD stockpiles and links to al Qaeda.

How about you Countryboy? Were you afraid of Iraq's non-existent WMD stockpiles too?

When I said maybe its about time people wise up, I was probably talking about you.

 

[lone wolf]

You really have a lot to learn about geography....

 

[JLM]

Well, let's face it...some of us are just poor stupid mortals trying to do our best. We realize we're not perfect and sometimes even make mistakes...heaven forbid.

And a few of us even realize that having a big visible job like PM ain't the easiest assignment in the country. We even suspect that we might not be able to do the job as well as Mr. Harper. Of course, we do have opinions on what he does and how he does it, and we certainly don't agree with him on everything.

Heck, some of who have travelled a bit even realize how much of a grind that can be, given the differences in time zones, food, language, etc. Just surviving the physical aspects of the trip can be a challenge.

But of course, we're just dumb slobs that aren't nearly as eloquent as those perfect individuals who have all the answers and don't mind criticizing anything they see, at the drop of a hat.

However, we are all the voters and I guess more of us agree with him than not, or else he wouldn't be the one making that trip and representing us so poorly in China.

Don't overlook one thing though...the CBC and others cannot and will not tell you that the Chinese would have far more time for a conservative type like Mr. Harper than they would for a liberal PM. Far more.

And don't for a minute buy the media line about him "losing face" with them...quite the opposite. The fact that he showed up and faced the music up front bought him (and us) more points that you'll ever know about. The fact that he didn't go overboard on reading those guys the riot act on human rights also went a long way to opening things up with them. The last thing you'd want to do is come bashing your way into town, sprouting off about how great we are in the human rights department and telling them how they should be doing things...oh no, that would pretty much shut the rest of the trip (and the ongoing relationship) down in a big hurry. In fact, he came away with a big tangible result - we're on the official tourism list now.

Doing business in the Far East requires some very detailed knowledge about the cultural nuances, and I was quite pleasantly surprised to see how well Mr. Harper did perform on that stage. He is a very respectable representative of our country and I for one am proud of how he conducted himself over there.

People never learn eh? A while back a president of the U.S. didn't like a foreign leader's behaviour and he did something about it and has been despised ever since. If we want to do trade we should talk trade, not manners.

 

[earth_as_one]

Ten Penny is once again right on the dime!!!But do you know what I would REALLY like?A thread where we could discuss foreign policy WITHOUT mentioning Israel....Good Lord!EaO's obsession gets a little......overwhelming at times.

Harper supports Israel. Israel is among the world's worst human rights abusers. If Harper claims he and his government won't back off regarding human rights, then his record of support for Israeli human rights abuses is fair game, especially when I'm claiming Harper is a hypocrite.

Sure China has a poor human rights record, but its pretty tame compared to the Israel's abuses which are detailed here:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/9B63490FFCBE44E5C1257632004EA67B?opendocument

 

[Colpy]

Give me an example of how Harper impressed the Chinese. To me he looked awkward and uncomfortable. His Chinese hosts seemed bordline hostile.

What positive benefits did China get as a result of Harper's visit?

I know what we got from China:

1) They put us on the favored destination list. Mind you they should have given that to us a long time ago. Canada is among the last developed countries to make the list. Even Zimbabwe got on the list before Canada:



2) China lifted their embargo on Canadian pork imports resulting from H1N1.

3) China announced they would open a consulate office in Montreal.

I'd say Chinese gave us these things despite Harper, not because of him.

In return, Harper never even bothered to invite the Chinese to visit Canada.

But if you think Harper did such a wonderful job in China, then please list the positive benefits the Chinese got in return as a result of Harper's visit? As far as can tell Harper gave the Chinese nothing.

In comparison, Chretien made 17 trips to China in 13 years. He raised human rights issues, but he kept it low key and offered help. Here is an excerpt of a speech by the Chinese Ambassador from 2003:



No I don't agree with everything she said, but at least China is willing to admit they have human rights problems. No I don't think Harper's criticism has been good natured or constructive. No I don't think the Harper government has done a good job of promoting trade and tourism with China.

Yes, the Chinese were bordering on hostile, which is why Harper should have turned on his heels, mooned them in public, and gone straight to the airport.......even if I agreed that we and our allies were horrendous Human rights abusers, war criminal, scum of the earth and murders, - in other words, if I accepted ALL of your BS on the subject (which I most emphatically do NOT!) - we would not have murdered 10 percent of what the Chinese "communist" government has done away with in the past 60 years.

If you knew anything, you would know that China is Robert Mugabe's greatest backer,,,,as well as the greatest friend of the Sudan......that may be why they get prefered status over Canada......

Oh, Harper's criticism wasn't "good natured" enough? You are kidding, right?

My overall impression of your post is that you are absolutely eager to sell your arse to the new emerging fascist super-power......yeah, right. 8O

 

[countryboy]

Note to quote=earth_as_one: Your remarks in Italics...Here we go...

Give me an example of how Harper impressed the Chinese. To me he looked awkward and uncomfortable. His Chinese hosts seemed bordline hostile.

I have no doubt he was uncomfortable, especially for the first day or two. I'm sure the chastizing he took was no surprise to him...i.e., he would know that was coming. However, his low key manner (if I may say that) would be taken well by the Chinese. Displays of emotion throughout Asia can be taken as a sign of weakness. A bit of humility goes a long way in that culture, especially if one is making amends for a past gaffe or two...his remarks on human rights in Ottawa would be the one I have in mind.

What positive benefits did China get as a result of Harper's visit?

The most important one - to them - would be the beginnings of a new relationship with the PM and the country...that's critical to doing business over there. I'm not aware of any other specific or immediate benefits to them.

1) They put us on the favored destination list. Mind you they should have given that to us a long time ago. So why is that, if PM Chretien made 17 trips over there in 13 years. Perhaps an 18th would've made the difference?

2) China lifted their embargo on Canadian pork imports resulting from H1N1.
Good.

3) China announced they would open a consulate office in Montreal.
Also good.

I'd say Chinese gave us these things despite Harper, not because of him.
Could be...we have no way of knowing that, do we? However, I can't help thinking that they didn't have to give us anything, so there must have some reason for them.

In return, Harper never even bothered to invite the Chinese to visit Canada.
I would think that would come later...kind of a protocol thing.

But if you think Harper did such a wonderful job in China, then please list the positive benefits the Chinese got in return as a result of Harper's visit? As far as
can tell Harper gave the Chinese nothing.

Same here (i.e., "gave them nothing") Again, not sure of that but normally if you can come away from a visit to China without "giving anything way", You've done well. (The inverse of that would be "giving away the store")

In comparison, Chretien made 17 trips to China in 13 years. He raised human rights issues, but he kept it low key and offered help. Here is an excerpt of a speech by the Chinese Ambassador from 2003:
No I don't agree with everything she said, but at least China is willing to admit they have human rights problems. No I don't think Harper's criticism has been good natured or constructive. No I don't think the Harper government has done a good job of promoting trade and tourism with China.

I don't think China's human rights issues are any of our business.
And you're right, the government hasn't done a good job - until the trip - of promoting tourism with China.

Most people who base their opinions on network news were clueless. I'm willing to bet that most people who vote for Harper conservatives, also believed Iraq possessed WMD stockpiles and links to al Qaeda.

Unfortunately, most people do get their information from network news.

How about you Countryboy? Were you afraid of Iraq's non-existent WMD stockpiles too?
No, not particularly. I was curious but didn't have my mind made up at that time as the information that I saw was sketchy at best. I share your distrust of the network news in general.

When I said maybe its about time people wise up, I was probably talking about you.

That's OK. I don't mind you having an opinion...at least you have one! And sure, I wish I could be wiser too! It's kind of a lifelong pursuit. :-|

 

[Colpy]

Harper supports Israel. Israel is among the world's worst human rights abusers. If Harper claims he and his government won't back off regarding human rights, then his record of support for Israeli human rights abuses is fair game, especially when I'm claiming Harper is a hypocrite.

Sure China has a poor human rights record, but its pretty tame compared to the Israel's abuses which are detailed here:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/9B63490FFCBE44E5C1257632004EA67B?opendocument

You are out of your mind......completely out of touch with reality.

Israel, since its creation, in war and strife, police action and retaliatory attack, has killed less than 100,000 Arabs........in 62 years.

In Tibet alone over the last 59 years, the Chinese have killed over 400,000 in direct military action, tortured to death or executed another 250,000, and caused a famine that killed over 300,000. In total, over 1 million Tibetans have died due to Chinese intervention. And they weren't firing rockets into China.

Oh yeah....and another 40 or 50 million of their own people.

Starting to get a grasp on reality yet?

The Chinese have murdered Falun Gong members and harvested their organs.....

The Chinese killed thousands of peaceful protesters at Tianamen Square.

The Chinese use slave labour.

The Chinese violently suppress religion of all types, imprison and murder religious leaders with great regularity.

the Chinese support the worst regimes on earth....Zimbabwe and the Sudan, for starters.

Get a grip!!!!!!

One thing at least, your idiotic accusations on this thread are totally discrediting you as a serious poster......

 

[earth_as_one]

Yes, the Chinese were bordering on hostile, which is why Harper should have turned on his heels, mooned them in public, and gone straight to the airport.......even if I agreed that we and our allies were horrendous Human rights abusers, war criminal, scum of the earth and murders, - in other words, if I accepted ALL of your BS on the subject (which I most emphatically do NOT!) - we would not have murdered 10 percent of what the Chinese "communist" government has done away with in the past 60 years.

If you knew anything, you would know that China is Robert Mugabe's greatest backer,,,,as well as the greatest friend of the Sudan......that may be why they get prefered status over Canada......

Oh, Harper's criticism wasn't "good natured" enough? You are kidding, right?

My overall impression of your post is that you are absolutely eager to sell your arse to the new emerging fascist super-power......yeah, right. 8O

China is our second largest trading partner. You'd treat them like that? Good thing you aren't our PM.

I'm not saying we should ignore their problems. But a lecture from Harper about their human rights record as he's trying to deny allegations that Canadian soldiers were complacent in the torture and abuse of Afghan detainees, as Canadian Omar Khadr rots in a US torture chamber and as Harper unshakably supports Israel's crimes against humanity and war crimes is farsical.

 

[Colpy]

China is our second largest trading partner. You'd treat them like that? Good thing you aren't our PM.

I'm not saying we should ignore their problems. But a lecture from Harper about their human rights record as he's trying to deny allegations that Canadian soldiers were complacent in the torture and abuse of Afghan detainees, as Canadian Omar Khadr rots in a US torture chamber and as Harper unshakably supports Israel's crimes against humanity and war crimes is farsical.

I've said it a thousand times....China should be treated as a leper, contained militarily and isolated economically......the absolute WORST crime Tricky Dick Nixon committed was going to china.....they are our enemies, and THEY know it.

We're a little slow.

 

[earth_as_one]

You are out of your mind......completely out of touch with reality.

Israel, since its creation, in war and strife, police action and retaliatory attack, has killed less than 100,000 Arabs........in 62 years.

In Tibet alone over the last 59 years, the Chinese have killed over 400,000 in direct military action, tortured to death or executed another 250,000, and caused a famine that killed over 300,000. In total, over 1 million Tibetans have died due to Chinese intervention. And they weren't firing rockets into China.

Oh yeah....and another 40 or 50 million of their own people.

Starting to get a grasp on reality yet?

The Chinese have murdered Falun Gong members and harvested their organs.....

The Chinese killed thousands of peaceful protesters at Tianamen Square.

The Chinese use slave labour.

The Chinese violently suppress religion of all types, imprison and murder religious leaders with great regularity.

the Chinese support the worst regimes on earth....Zimbabwe and the Sudan, for starters.

Get a grip!!!!!!

One thing at least, your idiotic accusations on this thread are totally discrediting you as a serious poster......

You could say similar things about Germany, if you ignored the fact that Germany isn't the same as it was under Hitler. I suggest that you get with the new century rather than live in the old one.

China has problems, but they aren't as serious as you make out. I bet you've never been there. I have family in Shanghai. I plan to visit next year and take in the Shanghai World Exposition.

Here is link to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Travel Advisory:

...Crime against foreigners occurs, especially in major cities and tourist areas. Violent crime is relatively rare, although foreigners have been attacked and robbed, particularly in popular expatriate bar areas of Beijing and Shanghai. There is an increase in cases of extortion by rickshaw drivers, particularly in Beijing. Foreign women, travelling alone are more likely to be targeted.

Foreigners have also been attacked in the shopping district of Shenzhen, located across the border from Hong Kong. Canadians should be extremely vigilant while in Shenzhen and surrounding areas. Police presence is poor in areas bordering on Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Pakistan, Siberia, and Vietnam. There is a risk of armed bandit attacks in remote parts of China. Canadians in south China should maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times, particularly in commercial and public establishments. They should also monitor local developments and follow the advice of local authorities.

Trekkers should not venture alone in remote or sparsely-populated areas.

Shanghai is a relatively safe city, although you should take the same precautions against crime as you would at home. Petty crime, such as pick pocketing and purse snatching, occurs more frequently at tourist sites such as the Bund, the Yu Gardens, and in the bar area around Hengshan road. Travellers should be aware of one particular extortion scam directed at foreigners: foreigners have been approached by strangers on Nanjing East Road (Nanjing Dong Lu) and invited to a nearby establishment for a drink (usually tea or alcohol). They are then presented with an exorbitant bill and forced to pay under duress and threat of injury. In some cases, the person has been harmed. Visitors to the city should be cautious of unsolicited requests from strangers to "practice English" or to accompany them to an unknown location...
China Travel Advice and Advisories | Government of Canada

Here is a link to Amnesty International's 2009 report regarding China:

The Olympic Games in Beijing brought heightened repression throughout the country as authorities tightened control over human rights defenders, religious practitioners, ethnic minorities, lawyers and journalists. Following protests and unrest which began in March in Lhasa the government originally detained over 1,000 people. Hundreds remained in detention or were unaccounted for at year’s end. The authorities used a series of violent incidents alleged to be linked to terrorists to launch a sweeping crackdown on the Uighur population in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Torture and other ill-treatment remained widespread. The authorities maintained tight control over the flow of information, with many internet websites blocked, and journalists and internet users harassed and imprisoned for the peaceful expression of opinions. The authorities made increased use of punitive forms of administrative detention, notably the Re-education through Labour system, to silence critics in the lead-up to the Olympic Games.

the rest here
China | Amnesty International Report 2009

 

[Colpy]

You could say similar things about Germany, if you ignored the fact that Germany isn't the same as it was under Hitler. I suggest that you get with the new century rather than live in the old one.

:

Yes, you could say the same about Germany: IF Adolph Hitler had died a natural death, was still revered in the nation, if Germany was led by the National Socialist German Worker's Party, and if Germans were still hunting the few Jews that were left.........

As it is the comparison fits better with Germany in the 1930s.....a burgeoning fascist state that claimed to be socialist, led by a rabidly nationalist party, expanding economically by leaps and bounds, attempting to boost its international image by hosting the Olympic Games, vetted, aided, appeased and courted by idiots in the West too blind to see the inevitability of the coming conflict.....