2012 TIBET PERMIT SITUATION UPDATE

NZ has good trade relations with China, we have large numbers studying and living here but we still pay a huge price for visas.

The price you pay for visas is related to the price your government charges the Chinese for visas, not the numbers of students or foreign residents.

China is concerned about image and appearance and thus reciprocity is an important factor in their relations with other countries. NZ is probably too small to get much respect from China unless the government does something specific to annoy them as have the 4 countries currently banned from TAR.

Ruth

Again : the Norwegian or the Austrian government has made no action "against" China. I know this isn´t a political forum , but we should at least get the facts right.

"Reciprocity" implies balance, a mutual or correspondent relation, and I know of no balance in China's actions against citizens of the UK, Norway, Austria and South Korea. If the UK had banned Chinese travellers from Northern Ireland or the Austrians had banned them from Tirol, then a ban on travel to Tibet by Britons or Austrians would be reciprocal.

But the UK, Norway, Austria and South Korea haven't banned Chinese travellers from anywhere, so "reciprocity" does not come into play here.

NZ is probably too small to get much respect from China I wouldnt be too sure of that!!

TomTraveller,

We worked with Tibet Wind Horse Adventure (http://www.windhorsetibet.com). I have traveled with this company twice across various parts of Tibet and can not say enough good things about them. They have lots of great itineraries on their website, but I have created custom itineraries with them that have been great. Hope that is of some help. Enjoy your time in Tibet!

Before his visit to Vienna, on the 23rd of May, the Dalai Lama was hosted by the mayor of the Belgian city of Huy, where the Dalai Lama inaugurated a new Buddhist prayer hall. OK it wasn't the prime minister, but why was Belgium not allowed to join this list next to the UK and Austria? Clearly a lack of Chinese respect for Belgium!

@vistet #453
The Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann invited the DL for breakfast and the Norwegians gave the Peace Nobel Price to Liu Xiaobo. Maybe that does't count as "action against China" for you, but if you check about the protests by Chinese diplomats you'll see what they think.

I wonder if this topic needs a separate thread? Although relevant to the permit situation, we are kinda hijacking the permit sticky with politics......

# 458 : "the Norwegians" was the Nobel Commitee - an independent organisation.