It was with disgust, though not surprise, that I noticed the red carpet being rolled out for Chinese president Hu Jintao in yet another western capital this week. Not London or Washington this time but Paris, birthplace of democracy and the site of the revolution whose timeless slogan is quoted above. As on previous trips abroad Mr. Hu was given the mildest of rebukes by his host for his country’s APPALLING human rights record. As on previous occasions this “polite” diplomacy will bring no relief to China’s thousands of political prisoners.

All this was unfortunately only to be expected. What was new this time, and in that sense more depressing, was Jacques Chirac’s full-throated support for China’s attempt to undermine the democratic process in Taiwan. By way of background, the island state goes to polls in March to elect a president. On the same day voters will have the chance for the first time to participate in a referendum. The Taiwanese government is asking its people if they wish China to stop pointing 400 missiles at them. Of course one doesn’t need to be a genius to guess the result of this poll. That’s not the point. China fears not the question but the referendum itself. Beijing sees this, correctly in my view, as the first step on the road from de facto to de jure independence for Taiwan.

We should not be surprised that the Chinese Communist Party is afraid of Chinese democracy in action. What has been depressing is the opposition of democratic states in Europe and North America to Taiwan’s first referendum. Chirac even has the gall to describe a referendum calling for military de-escalation “provocative”. Are the missiles themselves not provocative in the first place?

I suppose I should not be surprised. As I outlined in my last blog, western politicians have been kowtowing to China for decades in order to gain access to their markets. Part of the price for this access is accepting Beijing’s “one China” dogma, conveniently ignoring the fact that there are two Chinas.

As I said, we should expect no more from greedy western politicians. However the optimist in me hopes that Chirac might pause, perhaps on Bastille Day itself, to reflect on his attitude to Taiwan. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. Does one find these virtues in Taipei or in Beijing? The answer is obvious