Tibet Talks Get Underway: Negotiations with Chinese Characteristics

So, as predicted in my previous post, the talks between the Dalai Lama’s representatives and Beijing are happening today in Shenzhen. Expectations on both sides seem low, to put it mildly. President Hu Jintao, who is in Tokyo, (oops. he was talking to Japanese reporters in Beijing; goes to Japan Tuesday. Sorry about that. I must have been taking sniper fire when I wrote this.) did express some hopes that the talks might produce some results. On the other hand an editorial in the Tibet Daily-echoing similar articles in state media–repeated all the allegations against the “Dalai clique” being behind a conspiracy to foment the unrest. Presumably it’s all part of a sophisticated effort to keep the other side confused and off balance.