When Winston Peters holds up his little “No” placard, it makes me want to say “yes”. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, but I can’t help it.

So I say that this free trade deal with China is not the end of the world as we know it.

I can’t help thinking that more than a few of those who give Chinese human rights abuses as a reason not to sign were just using a new wagon for an old band. By which I mean ardent protectionists - who simply don’t want to open the country to a trade liberalisation agreement with China - used the recent protests in Tibet as a vehicle to make their point.

It was interesting to talk to some people with informed opinions to write this article recently.

Thuten Kesang of Friends of Tibet reckons trade and human rights are separate issues, and I tend to agree.

Hell, I even have agree with Ms Clark’s smarmy, pre-learnt media response. If we only traded with nice countries we’d barely trade with anyone.

Now, while I think some people just don’t like FTAs and use any excuse they can to oppose one, I do think it’s a perfect moment for broader issues to be raised.

The Olympics in particular is an excellent opportunity to speak out about abuses in China.

I watched with glee the rugby team manouevres of flourescent security guards as they shoved protester after protester out of the path of the Olympic torch in London.

(Not, you understand, because they were squashing the protest, but because there was so much protest to deal with.)

China is so much in the international picture right now, and that’s got to be a good thing.

Other posts by Katie Llanos-Small