China’s Communist Party might start a list of martyrs in Germany: there were those reshuffles at the Voice of Germany last year, and now, Peter Ripken, one of the Frankfurt Book Fair managers, has been fired for continuing coordination problems, reports Der Spiegel.
Ripken had been the International Center‘s manager since 2003. The Center is a cooperation between the book fair and the foreign office. Chinese dissident author Dai Qing was told by Ripken last week that she wasn’t scheduled to speak there on a final reception on Sunday.
A witch hunt? I don’t think so. Last month, Mr Ripken told China’s Global Times, concerning Dai Qing and Bei Ling, that
“We have withdrawn the invitation” […] “But one of the writers has been granted a visa from the German Foreign Ministry. My colleague is now negotiating with Beijing.” “The German media is overacting on this issue,” he added.
Holy shit.
It may be worth some thoughts if Dai Qing has been treated too much as a VIP in recent weeks. After all, she isn’t the only person who can speak for China.
But if Ripken really worked so hard to keep her out, it’s right to see him off. It’s bad enough that the CPC censors Chinese media and events. There is no need to help them with their dirty work in our place.
Justrecently's Weblog 
At least there's Capital in the North - not quite the Dongbei network, but with occasional observations from China. As…