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Internet users support EU summit decision

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-01 07:19

BEIJING -- Most Chinese netizens support China's decision to postpone a Sino-EU summit as an reaction against a planned meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama.

A survey conducted on the Huanqiu.com, affiliated to People's Daily, showed about 98 percent of netizens voted for the decision.

As of Sunday night, the survey, asking whether you support China's decision to postpone the Sino-EU summit, received more than 48,000 votes, and only 980 voted "no".

"The decision was reasonable," said a netizen called Liu Xiaotai.

"We should also start boycotting French commodities," said an anonymous netizen, echoed by many others.

China on Wednesday decided to put off the 11th China-European Union Summit scheduled for next week in France, after Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, insisted on meeting with the Dalai Lama after the summit.

China had no choice but to react, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Friday in a statement.

"China firmly opposes any contacts with the Dalai Lama by foreign leaders in whatever form.

"The Tibet issue is related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and touches on China's core interests," Qin said.

However, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday that China would not change its determination and policy to actively develop EU-China comprehensive and strategic partnership.

Wu Jianmin, a senior diplomat in China, came up with three principles for the Sino-EU cooperation at the 8th Annual Summit of the World Trade Organization held on Saturday.

"We should have mutual respect, focus on the issues of major concerns, and address differences in a proper way," Wu said.

Earlier this April, many Chinese people were angered by the disruption of the Olympic torch relay in Paris and called for a boycott against French companies.