Dear Mr Hu,
I’ve just come back from Strasbourg. Have you ever been? It’s the epithomy of old pretty Europe.
For centuries it has been a crossroad for commerce right at the core of the continent, contended by France and Germany. Its palaces and churches display a wealth built over the time, combined with an efficient public transport and all sort of facilities for its inabitants. People are friendly; food&wine remarkable.
Strasburg is also the seat of the Council of Europe – which hosts the European Court of Human Rights – and European Parliament.
This fairy-tale is the incarnation of your Harmonious Society ideal in European terms. However, it might not last as we have some troubles with liquidity in Europe – some members of the Union have exceeded in generosity with their domestic policies – and are considering to lease some bits of city. Would you give an hand?
First of all we could offer the Parliament building. MEPs used to commute to Strasbourg once a week without any specific purpose that the town is the symbol of the reconcilitation between France and Germany after WWII. Such a symbol costs € 200m and over 20’000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
The building is almost brand-new, hight tech and could be easily transformed into an hotel and congress centre for Chinese delegations and tourist groups. it would be a perfectly suitable venue for the Chinese Communist party’s awayday.
You could also consider the Council of Europe. It’s the oldest European institution established in ’49 – right after the war. However, the establishment of the European Union has made the Council redundant and we would be happy to hand out to China.
It’s a pretty insitution, full of competent staff. Your guys coudl use it as a training camp to prepare integration in Eastern Asia. I guess we should negotiate the future of the Court of Human Rights. I would discourage you from shut it down. I’d rather use it as breeding ground for a new set of Human Rights inspired by the Asian tradition.
In the package includes the Conference of INGOs. It’s another lovely institution you could offer your party to play with. It’s essentially a bunch of old Francophone NGOs activitst – 65 average age – who like playing at democracy. I’m sure NGOs would fit weel in the Harmonious Society.
We are very fond on hosting you in Strasbourg as soon as you return from the US. A new debit crisis might loom soon.
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