Pretoria’s apparent refusal to grant Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama a visa to attend a summit of Nobel peace laureates has sparked outrage in South Africa. Critics allege the government is bowing to China, undermining South African sovereignty. China’s long-held policy toward the Dalai Lama is clear: Any country that welcomes him will pay a price either diplomatically, economically, or both. African leaders across the continent are watching this event carefully as an indication of how China can throw its hefty weight around when it wants to assert itself with much smaller, less powerful states in Africa.
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Recommendations
- “‘Dalai Lama Debacle’ Stirs Anger in South Africa,” Andrew Jacobs and Jess Macy Yu, The New York Times, October 6, 2014
- “Jacob Zuma risks Nelson Mandela's legacy with his pro-Beijing stance,” Agence France Presse, October 10, 2014
