Tape Reveals Embassy Footing Bill for Hu Jintao’s Welcome Rally

Exclusive—Official tells students they must join, describes event as political struggle against human rights advocates.

A long line of school buses sits in downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa made a large-scale effort this week to get Chinese people from across the country to rally in Ottawa in support of Hu Jintao's arrival. Some students studying in Canada on Chinese state scholarships were even told that attending the rallies was mandatory. The Epoch Times

[ 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.