China presses Corvallis to have mural removed | | The Bulletin
"The Chinese government is pressuring the mayor of Corvallis to order that a Taiwanese-American businessman remove a mural advocating independence for Tibet and Taiwan.
Two consular officials flew in from San Francisco earlier this month in an unsuccessful bid to convince Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning to find a way to have the mural removed.
The episode shines light on the Chinese government’s efforts to exert influence over an issue sensitive to Beijing leaders.
In a letter last month, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco said the mural “has caused strong resentment from the local Chinese community and Chinese students studying in the U.S." The letter asks Manning to “adopt effective measures" to remove the mural, which depicts police beating Tibetan demonstrators and Tibetans setting themselves on fire, along with scenes of Taiwanese defiance." (read article for rest)
Here is the
Mural:
So what do you all think? Is China in the right? Is the city and the mural owner in the right? Should the city and the building owner back down or will China? Does this have the potential to become a spark in a bigger issue? Is this happening anywhere else in the US?