Comments on: The Chinese view of India

By: VK

VK — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:12:44 +0000

@KM: You are confident that the Chinese Ambassador did not seek (and have) meetings with his Indian counterparts (not the PM). JK is confident that other Ambassadors were not summoned by the Chinese Ministry. If you do not see 50 news stories about something, it does not mean that it did not happen.

Whatever point JK was trying to make, he could have picked better illustrations.

I’ll stop here on this comment thread.

By: KM

KM — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:52:06 +0000

This, while not impossible, would also be highly unusual because you can’t order people to help you.

Didn’t they order Nirupama Rao to secure their embassy. Why didn’t the Chinese Ambassador walk into the Prime Minister’s office and request for more protection. I think the point JK is trying to make is that techically it may be right to summon, but China knows when to apply technicalities and when not apply it.

By: VK

VK — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:19:55 +0000

@JK: In the post, you were offended that the Chinese Ambassador did not summon the Mayor. That was simply impossible for the Ambassador to do.

Now, you are offended that the Chinese Govt did not summon the US Ambassador to seek protection for the torch. This, while not impossible, would also be highly unusual because you can’t order people to help you. The thirsty chap goes to the well for a drink, not the other way around.

The correct protocol is what the Chinese Ambassador did. What the Chinese Ministry did by issuing midnight summons was also correct technically, but out of line in terms of basic politeness.

Nitin’s post says all that is there to say about this issue. The Chinese Ambassador’s actions in USA are irrelevant here. Don’t get offended by technicalities.

By: JK

JK — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:55:35 +0000

Nitin’s post is about the 2 AM insult. My post is about the fact that for this issue, China could have summoned US Ambassador and asked him to protect the torch, but they did not. Yes, Ambassadors have been summoned since time immemorial, but that was not my point.

By: VK

VK — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:33:55 +0000

@kesh: That point can be, and has been, made without drawing incorrect parallels. Just read Nitin’s post (linked in the post above).

By: kesh

kesh — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:57:28 +0000

vk,
I thought the whole point of the blog entry was to tell ‘Some freakin Chinese calls in the Indian ambassador at “2:00AM” to talk about something which the ambassador can do nothin about’. Either the chinese care rats-ass about the ambassador or he believe s every Indian works at a call center in the middle of the nite.

I dont know nothin about calling in or summon or whatever that you guys are all talking about.

-kesh

By: VK

VK — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:33:41 +0000

@JK: The first sentence of your comment doesn’t make sense to me. You can’t summon people when you have to request them for something!

Your second point is valid, though a bit inaccurate. Other Ambassadors were also summoned, but at regular working hours.

The last sentence is thoroughly inaccurate in is implications. China has summoned US ambassadors in the past. Just google for the appropriate terms (China, Summon, Ambassador) and you will come across plenty of links.

I think you are missing the point of Nitin’s post. The summons, by themselves, are not insulting. They are just protocol. What is unusual is the timing – 0200 hrs.

By: JK

JK — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:20:04 +0000

The point which was not explicitly mentioned was that China did not summon the American Ambassador at 2 AM and ask for protection, but instead asked the Chinese Ambassador to visit the mayor. Also protests against Chinese embassies have been happening in various countries and none of the diplomats there were summoned. They know whom to insult and whom not to.

By: photonman

photonman — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:48:55 +0000

@ VK

Well said.

By: VK

VK — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:19:08 +0000

Actually, who goes to meet whom is a matter of official procedure. You can’t “summon” an official of the host government. You have to call on them at their convenience. Forget Mayors, even lower-level employees of host government can’t be summoned. One can only seek appointments with them.. or invite them over.. both of which can be refused easily. Not so easy in the opposite direction.

This doesn’t mean that summoning an Ambassador’s at 0200 hrs is fine.. just that it is procedurally sound.