McCain Meets With Sarkozy in France, Warns That China is Harming World Image
PARIS — Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain said Friday that China is harming its world image with its crackdown in Tibet and expressed hope Beijing would seek a peaceful solution to the crisis.
McCain did not discuss the issue during a 45-minute meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but told reporters later the subject was “one of the first things I would talk about if I were president of the United States today.”
China’s crackdown “is not correct,” McCain said in the courtyard of the French presidential Elysee Palace.
“The people there are being subjected to mistreatment that is not acceptable with the conduct of a world power, which China is,” McCain said in response to a question by a Chinese television journalist.
“There must be respect for human rights, and I would hope that the Chinese are actively seeking a peaceful resolution to this situation that exists which harms not only the human rights of the people there but also the image of China in the world.”
The White House has urged Beijing to respect Tibetan culture and multi-ethnicity in its society.
McCain was in Paris for a matter of hours at the end of a weeklong tour of the Middle East and Europe. He was traveling as part of a U.S. congressional delegation — including Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. — that visited Iraq, Jordan, Israel and London.
The delegation discussed a range of issues with Sarkozy, from climate warming and nuclear energy to the Middle East crisis, Iraq and Afghanistan, where France has troops.
McCain praised the state of U.S. relations with France, crediting Sarkozy, who was elected in May, with the high level of ties after years of tension that followed Paris’ lead role in opposing the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq five years ago.
“I think our relations with France will improve no matter who is the president of the United States,” he said, “because this president (Sarkozy) is committed to greater cooperation and values our friendship.”
A reporter asked if McCain’s trip abroad was not a “taxpayer rip-off,” used for personal politicking, forcing the Arizona senator to defend the trip. He said he was proud.
Travels to Iraq or Israel and meetings in Europe concern issues that “lay clearly under the jurisdiction of the Senate Armed Services Committee,” McCain said.
“Very frankly, I wish every senator … would take the same trip that we have taken. They would be better informed and they would be better able to make decisions as to how we can defend the national interests of the United States of America in these times of great challenge,” he said.
The McCain campaign said Thursday it would reimburse the federal government about $3,000 for political travel expenses incurred during the trip.
On Thursday, McCain attended a $1,000-per-person fundraising lunch at London’s Spencer House.
Under terms reviewed by the Federal Election Commission and the Senate ethics committee, McCain will reimburse the federal government $3,000 for a one-night stay at a London hotel and first-class airfare from Washington to London because of the political nature of the event there. McCain had already agreed to pay more than $2,000 for the flight home.
McCain expressed special thanks to Sarkozy and the “the brave citizens of this country” for their troop contribution to Afghanistan where France has some 1,500 soldiers as part of the NATO mission there and another 400 in the U.S.-led operation battling the Taliban and al-Qaida.
McCain reiterated his commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying “we must make progress, we can make progress” and adding that he believes any participation of France and other countries can contribute to peace. The role of France in pressing Iran over its disputed nuclear program has been important, he said.
France pressed for the recent third round of sanctions passed by the U.N. Security Council on Iran for failing to end its disputed nuclear program and assuage fears uranium enrichment may be used to develop nuclear weapons — which Iran denies.
A nuclear armed Iran “is a threat to the entire region and peace in the world,” McCain said.
Sarkozy is expected to announce next month a new force commitment to Afghanistan.
Hey Chris…Shane is educated. He is a graduate of Berkeley don’t you know.
Shane…What makes you think there will be an America in 5 to 10 years?
We are one step away from total disaster and do not even have a handle on that step!
If Saud (OPEC) decides not to accept US dollars for oil payment, it is OVER!
This is why Chenney went to the ME. Everything else we hear on the news is a smoke screen.
Did you notice the intervention in the US dollar last week? How is it that the dollar went up while the fund rate went down?
Obama 08 = Better Everthing
McCain is a practical man. It is good to have a candidate that speaks of practical matters and acts in practical ways. Ideology from both the left and right are not what is needed at this time. We need a man (or woman) with good common sense to be at the head of a country facing enormous threats from within and from beyond our borders. We all would be able to calm down and get to work on becoming a more self-reliant people. More government intervention is not what we need. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country!” That is a practical solution.
Senators Obama and Clinton are in the muck and mire of a vicious campaign. Senator McCain is in France talking to President Sarkozy. Who of the three is more presidential?
America can hold her Head up in the World!
Many of you armchair politicians just blab about things you don’t and never will understand. McCain is doing what is necessary for International Relations. He is the only Politician we currently have in this race that has what it takes to run this Country. And please keep in mind that “one” person didn’t start this war in Iraq. Many variables came into play and it is what it is.
China has it’s own set of problems and the best we can do is to monitor what they do! All BIG Countries play their hand from time to time to see what happens next! After all, we played ours and took this fine Country from the Indians, killed most of them and forced them onto reservations. Ask them what they think about who thought they owned everything!!
A more news worthy story to talk about would be that CONDOLEEZZA RICE IS SUPPOSEDLY GOING TO BE JOHN McCains VP. It’s true……
Shane you “WRECKON” and “bushes” should be reckon and Bush’s respectively. You don’t how to spell the Senator’s name and you don’t know enough to capitalize the name of countries. In the same way you have not a clue the use of tax money. Get educated and perhaps your educated mind will be able to understand more clearly what you are espousing
Senator Mccain says the china crackdown is “not correct” and “harming its image in the world”. Its funny how he is worrying about another country’s image in the world, but refusing to admit that the IRAQ WAR is hurting U.S. image in the world. If John Mccain is elected president, i wreckon we wont even be able to recognize america in 5 to 10 years. His support for an immoral and resource draining war in iraq will contine our downward economic spiral. He supports bushes tax cuts for the wealthiest amongst us, while ordinary americans have less spendind power than they had 8 years ago. He calls china a “world power”, but cant see that his support for the Bush administrations policies is weakening OUR POWER!
obama 08!