China

You Can Have Those Heads Back, If….

By Simon Elegant | February 23, 2009 | +

Further to Ling’s post below is the news that the auction went off without a hitch (actually that’s an understatement: it pulled in $260 milllion) after a judge threw out the appeal to stop the sale of the heads. Pierre Berge, Saint-Laurent’s former partner who is conducting the sale seems like a scrappy fellow. Here’s exactly what he had to say about returning the heads to China: 

 ”I am prepared to offer this bronze head to the Chinese straight away. All they have to do is to declare they are going to apply human rights, give the Tibetans back their freedom and agree to accept the Dalai Lama on their territory.

“If they do that, I would be very happy to go myself and bring these two Chinese heads to put them in the Summer Palace in Beijing. It’s obviously blackmail but I accept that.”

Another reason for Sino-French relations to get even chillier.

Related Topics: China

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  • tanboontee

    This is absolutely ridiculous, insanity of the highest degree, tantamount to despicable ransoming.

    The West invaded and ransacked Beijing a century ago, stealing away the most precious antiques. Now not only they have the cheek to auction the loots in public, but also challenging the rights of the genuine owner.

    The arrogance is obnoxious. Remember, the West does not own the past of China or what is Chinese.

    Who CARES about the improvement of Sino-French relationship anymore?
    (Tan Boon Tee)

  • bluescreen2008

    This seems justified the CCP argument that the Western take on China for no good.

    A century ago they prompt free trade for opium. Now prompt human rights for bronze heads. Always be able to find a reason.

  • 1worldpeace

    I don’t question this guy’s sincerity for the human rights of Tibetans. Neither do I doubt his real intention about this auction. Money? Obviously not. But I really wonder if his evil to evil approach would wake up the conscious of the Chinese. No human rights, no bronze head. Human rights = bronze head? What does that make Mr. Pierre Berge himself?

  • jumpingflea

    Human right? By invasion, killing, and loot? Then selling the loot to the highest bidder in your most glamorous palace? You mother-phucker French barbarians!!

  • pcp69

    >”…I would be very happy to go myself and bring these two Chinese heads to put them in the Summer Palace in Beijing…”

    I’d like to see him find that Summer Palace in Beijing seeing as it was burned down with the help of French troops, is he trying to promote subtle revisionist history?

  • johnsmith9876

    I think the French will be afraid. Very afraid. They should expect the PLA navy at their ports any day now. The Chinese aircraft carrier battle groups with dozens of destroyers and cruisers are going to lay waste Paris. Hu will be asking: “Is Paris Burning ?”. Chinese long range bombers will be destroying all French factories and farms. No more poisonous French milk. No more French purses. Down goes the western civilization. The Versailles will be a ruin, just like Yuanmingyuan. The Louvre will be just a pile of dirt.

    It will be a glorious day.

  • conscienceinchina

    French and Brit looted our antiques, yet the CCP ransacked all the China, including our freedom, property, life, environment, hope and future.

  • conscienceinchina

    John, I do agree with you. See these shocking nazi speeches from the former CCP defense minister Chi Haotian（迟浩田）:

    《战争离我们不远，它是中华世纪的产婆》（War, the midwife of the “China century”, is not far from us）：http://pauldeng.blogspot.com/2007/01/blog-post_1506.html
    http://www.kotnation.com/dispbbs.asp?BoardID=55&replyID=507&ID=3744&skin=1
    http://bbs.tiexue.net/post_3386258_1.html
    http://bbs.tiexue.net/post2_3386258_1.html

    《战争正在向我们走来》(War is approaching us)：http://www.centralnation.com/usstudy/wariscoming.html
    https://www.dolc.de/forum/viewthread.php?tid=834039&page=1

  • mel0809

    A lot of anti-Chinese government here, well, I wonder whether there are more anti-US government people in this world.

    What this guy said made me laugh really. “Here you can have this thing that you want so badly, but give me your soul.”

  • johnsmith9876

    mel0809: I am sure there are more anti-US than Anti-Chinese people in the world. There are 1.3 billion Chinese to begin with, and they are all told to hate the US. And they are good followers of orders too.

  • johnsmith9876

    conscienceinchina: I am impressed. You pickup on “Is Paris Burning ?” Good for you. I don’t expect too many people to know what that was.

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