Source: ICLT

SAN FRANCISCO May 24, -- Over 75 people demonstrated outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on Thursday to protest a US-China Trade Summit taking place at the hotel. Demonstators shouted "Made in China, we won't buy it" and "No MFN" ouside, while several Tibet supporters monitored the conference inside. The conference was organized by the San Francisco Global Trade Council as part of World Trade Week.

The conference organizers refused to allow the issues of human rights and Tibet on the conference agenda. When asked if San Francisco Congresswoman and long time Tibet supporter Nancy Pelosi was invited to address the conference, organizer Harry Orbelian said that she was not because "if she came the Chinese delegation would walk out."

The Confernce billed "Empowering U.S.-China Trade Relations" had the poor timing to be held on the same day that U.S. officials announced a major bust of Chinese smugglers bringing AK-47s into San Francisco. Chinese officials at the conference refused to answer CNN and CBS reporters questions about how the arrests will affect trade relations between the two countries and the conference participants made no mention of the story which ran as the top headline in the local papers.

Senator Diane Feinstein welcomed the conference participants in a letter which stated "Frankly, it is high time we ended this annual ritual (regarding Most Favored Nations Status). Granting China MFN status--- which is not some special privilege, but the normal trading status all but a few rogue nations receive--- is so clearly in our interests that there should be no debate about it." The Senator urged participants to contact their Representatives and advocate renewal of MFN.

Conference participants included Chines government officials and CEOs. Questions to panelists were screened so that human rights issues were not allowed on to the floor, and direct audience participation was not allowed. However, when a Chinese official wanted to comment from the floor of the conference, he was invited up to the microphone. When one activists threatened to ask his question aloud if it was not asked for him, he was expelled from the conference.

When a human rights question was finally asked, a Chinese official stated that China is still a developing nation that must feed its people first. He also stated that this was an internal matter of no concern to the U.S.

Meanwhile, on the side walk in front of the hotel, demonstrators attracted the attention of local and national media with guerilla theater and a "die in". A 35 foot banner was unfurled from a room on the 4th floor of the hotel that read "MFN KILLS". The demonstration appeared on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and on all four local Bay Area television stations.

Similar protests were held across the United States to protest World Trade Week. The demonstration in San Francisco was organized by the International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet, Milarepa Fund, Tibet Association of Northern California, and Bay Area Friends of Tibet, and included participants from Amnesty International and the Chinese Democracy movement.

Glen Craig Gilbert

Executive Director

ICLT

2288 Fulton Street, Suite 312

Berkeley, California 94704 USA

510-486-0588 telephone

510-548-3785 fax

iclt@igc.apc.org email