China 'discouraging France trips'

[Ezekiel25:17]

China 'discouraging France trips'
Beijing's official tourism body is urging tour operators to stop selling holidays to France, the French foreign ministry has said.
The claim comes amid souring relations between the two countries after the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay.
Thousands of pro-Tibet protesters disrupted the event last month, and managed to extinguish the flame.
However Beijing said that it had "simply reminded Chinese tourists to be careful about their security."
Estimates suggest that about 700,000 tourists from mainland China visited France last year.
"Our embassy in Beijing is currently taking steps with the Chinese authorities to find out the reasons that could have motivated (the move)," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Pascale Andreani.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has suggested that he may boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics, unless China started talks with the Dalai Lama.
And Chinese nationalists have called for a boycott of French goods.
The Olympic Torch relay was also disrupted a number of cities, including London and San Francisco.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...ss/7428403.stm

[Orbiter]

fascistic way of thinking in china shouldn't come as surprise.

[packetloss]

No it shouldnt, nations do stuff like this all the time. Tourism and trade is a good way to leverage your position against another nationstate - Its better than some sort of battle isnt it?

China's opinion is that the french government didnt do enough to protect chinese intrests when they were there as a guest - So issuing warnings to its citizens about the same is a good political leverage.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

I doubt tourism is going to drop because of this. It's paris, city of love. Tour de france, always wanted to go and see a stage. In a year, we will all forget about these protests.

[Macs.]

Freedom Fries, anyone ?

[deagle]

so instead of China doing damage control to save "face", and suggest more tourism so both sides can learn more about each respective culture, they do this ??

pretty dumb really

[FIA_cn]

Beijing's official tourism body is urging tour operators to stop selling holidays to France, the French foreign ministry has said.

never heard so, I'm willing to have a trip to france anytime...as long as I can afford...

[Lerclair]

Articles about China from BBC ? 50% off from the truth department. Until I see something concrete or official, I'll sustain from fully believing.

BTW, a lower Chinese tourist percentile visiting France this year is a given.

[boreal]

I doubt tourism is going to drop because of this. It's paris, city of love. Tour de france, always wanted to go and see a stage. In a year, we will all forget about these protests.

Tijuana is the city of love, and the tour of France is far better on TV than in the road.

[Ordie]

I can't blame them. The Euro is too high.
The Chinese would get a better deal in Buenos Aires.

[Lambert58]

I doubt tourism is going to drop because of this. It's paris, city of love. Tour de france, always wanted to go and see a stage. In a year, we will all forget about these people being butchered for no reason.

fixed that for ya.

[...WARLORD...]

man China retarded! That wont stop anyone, if anything, it will be the Gas prices.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

man China retarded! That wont stop anyone, if anything, it will be the Gas prices.

China is not retarded. Companies know that china is a money making machine. total consumerism among the huge population. If chinese citizens boycott a brand, or a tourist destination, that's bad business.

[Doublethinker]

It is strange, that after massive campaigns de facto working not as much against Chinese government (you don't like it? Protest at the embassy, don't buy Chinese goods or something), but against Chinese people, you guys are surprised to see them retaliate.

The Chinese were extremely happy that they were honored with the right to be a host country for the Olympics.But after the Olympic torch was extinguished multiple times and after some countries announced that they could boycott the Olympics and after each and every 'decent liberal European and American' made it a rule to demand that Olympics aren't held in China, the Chinese felt that instead of becoming more accepted in the Western world, the Olympics were being used to humiliate and denounce the country and its people as a whole.

And combined with comments like 'Earthquake in China is a consequence of their bad karma' and other bull****, I see pretty clearly why the Chinese are pissed and alienated by such moves.

When you **** on another guy's parade, don't come telling him that you did it 'just because you didn't approve of his government'.

[Nansouty]

700 k chinese tourists visited France last year. This indeed may seem to be a lot, but France welcomed some 79 million visitors in 2007 :

http://www.tourisme.gouv.fr/fr/z2/st...2/ccles_gb.pdf (check p.7 )

IMO, the skyrocketing fuel prices will have a more telling impact... as well as on the Beijing Olympic Games perhaps.