[ Video Courtesy of NTDTV ]
Beginning today, expect to see throngs of flag-waving Chinese on Parliament Hill and lining the streets of Ottawa where Chinese leader Hu Jintao will visit the next three days. According to an official at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, staff there have been working late into the night and spending lots of money to ensure Mr. Hu is met with a crowd of passionate supporters, not those protesting human rights abuses.
The Epoch Times has obtained a recording of a speech given Friday by Mr. Liu Shaohua, the first secretary of the education section at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, to a crowd of between 40 and 50 students receiving Chinese state-scholarships to study there. Those students, Liu says, must attend the welcome events for Hu.
In the recording, Mr. Liu says the embassy is covering hotels, food, travel, and clothing for what he estimates will be 3,000 people who will welcome Mr. Hu Wednesday through Friday, coming from as far away as Waterloo, Ont.
The expenses easily total in the hundreds of thousands, based on Liu’s comments. But Mr. Liu describes it as “little money,” in light of the “political struggle” the Chinese regime is waging, the goal being to overshadow human-rights advocates who plan to protest during Hu’s visit.
“Originally, we did not expect the situation to be so complex,” Liu said. “Falun Gong, Tibetan separatists, Uyghur separatists, democracy people have already moved onto Parliament Hill [...] This is a battle that relates to defending the reputation of our motherland. The embassy and authorities inside China have a very high requirement.”
“These last few days, everyday, we have been busy until 11 p.m. or midnight,” Liu explained.
Listen to an excerpt from the speech given by Liu Shaohua, in Chinese, to students at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa on Friday here: [mp3remote]http://epoch-utils.com/web/podcast/download.php?filename=Liu_Shaohua_Recording_Excerpt.mp3[/mp3remote]
All Expenses Paid
Liu began his more-than-15-minute address with a name-by-name roll call, to which each student replied, “Yes.”
“This time, for you, all the expenses will all be paid by us,” Liu said. “You do not talk about it outside. Do not talk about it to anyone, except to people in this circle.”
Liu said students who were not on state-sponsored scholarships also had their expenses for the trip covered.
“For our country this is such little money. In my view this is a struggle, a political struggle.”
The “political struggle” Liu refers to appears to be the presence of groups protesting human rights abuses in China. Liu makes reference to Tibetan, Uyghur, and democracy activists, but focuses mainly on Falun Gong, a spiritual group persecuted by the communist regime in China.
“We will take the east part of Parliament Hill,” Liu said. “Falun Gong will take the west of the square. We should have 3,000 people. In terms of quantity, we should be able to surpass them.”
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