The Detroit News: China exchange protested [Excerpt]

ARMADA -- Concerns over cost and China's history of human rights violations could put a halt to a proposed educational and cultural exchange program between Armada schools and the Asian country.

Armada Supt. of Schools Arnold Kummerow wants to create the ongoing program, in which students from Armada and Beijing would spend time in each other's countries learning about technology.

Educators from Beijing visited Armada in April and Armada administrators visited China over the summer. Educators in both countries were amazed at the level of technology available to students, Kummerow said.

But School Board Secretary Michael Carberry said he wants more specific lesson and business plans in place before supporting the program any longer. He also questioned why the district should ally itself with a country with a notorious record of human rights abuse and a [party's name omitted] political structure.

"There are friendlier governments closer by ... such as in Canada to the north and Mexico to the south," Carberry said. "There are concerns about going so far away and the country being [party's name omitted]."

The Chinese government has cracked down on college students, dissidents, Catholic priests, and the Falun Gong. The instances drew international criticism and has resulted in many countries opposing China hosting the Olympic games any time soon.

[...] http://detnews.com/2001/macomb/0109/13/c05-292904.htm