But speaking in Romania yesterday, the Prime Minister criticized China's human-rights record, saying the country must realize that its growing might – combined with playing host to the Olympics – has prompted greater scrutiny of its domestic policies.
“I would continue to urge China to respect human rights and peaceful protests not just in Tibet but everywhere,” Mr. Harper said at a NATO summit.
“I would also encourage the government of China to understand that its growing wealth, its growing importance in the world and of course the profile of the Olympics will put a greater and greater spotlight on its record in this regard.”
Canada will play host to the Winter Olympics in 2010 and at least one expert said Mr. Harper's decision may prompt a retaliation from the Chinese.
Others said the Prime Minister's decision not to go appears to be a protest.
Mr. Harper took pains to distance himself from calls for a boycott of the ceremony being contemplated by other countries, saying he had never planned to go and that he doesn't think there's a widespread global sentiment in favour of skipping the August event.
He did not elaborate on why he doesn't plan to go.
The Prime Minister says his government plans to send a high-level delegation instead to represent Canada at the opening ceremony.
He said China must pay greater attention to world concerns over Tibet or risk drawing even more criticism.
“My advice – I know the government of China is not typically taking my advice – my strong advice would be to take these concerns seriously because I think they are likely to grow rather than diminish if we see a repetition of the current pattern.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will not attend the ceremony, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has not ruled out following the example.
U.S. President George W. Bush has said he will attend, as has British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
An expert on foreign affairs said Mr. Harper's decision could prompt the Chinese to retaliate by not sending prime-ministerial-level officials to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“That's the great danger,” said Fen Hampson, director of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa. “Any action you take or any gestures you make will be reciprocated, and they usually are.”
Mr. Harper has probably already decided that a reciprocal gesture doesn't bother him.
“He's sending – like other leaders – a strong message to the Chinese that they've got to start cleaning up their act on Tibet and the treatment of their minorities,” Prof. Hampson said. “To say this [the Olympics] is just sport, that's always been nonsense.”
Mr. Harper has been consistent in vocally pressing the Chinese on human-rights issues. The government has, in past weeks, moved to try to repair relations, although there is a strong faction within government that wants to take a hard line.
The Canada Tibet Committee said Mr. Harper's move is significant in that it comes from the leader of a country that is holding the next Olympic Games after those in Beijing.
“It's a good thing because it's a step away from words,” said Dermod Travis, the organization's executive director.
“This is a political decision from a political leader who does not want to offer the regime in Beijing the credibility of his presence. … China has to understand that this is not a decision just of Canada, but this is a decision that many world leaders are either in the process of making or have already made.”
Deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff would not say whether not attending the opening ceremony was appropriate, but he did say Canadians are deeply concerned about China's human-rights record.
“We don't at the moment – unless things get a lot worse – want to sabotage the Games. But the Chinese have to understand that they'll be in the spotlight and they've got to conduct themselves accordingly.”
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