China censures Dalai Lama-Indian president meeting
China has expressed its strong disapproval of a recent meeting between the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, saying such contacts adversely affect bilateral relations.
"The Chinese side is firmly opposed to any form of contacts between officials of other countries with him (the Dalai Lama)," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing on Friday.
He also called on New Delhi to respect Beijing's concerns and “take effective means to remove the negative impact caused by the incident, so as to avoid disturbance to the China-India relationship."
Geng further accused the Dalai Lama of engaging in separatist activities under the guise of religion, adding Beijing wants India to recognize the "anti-China, separatist essence of the Dalai Lama clique.”
India's Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed China’s objections, saying the Nobel Peace Prize winning monk and Mukherjee had met at a "non-political" event.
The two officials met at the Indian presidential palace in New Delhi during a child welfare summit attended by world leaders and Nobel laureates on December 10-11.
The Dalai Lama has been blamed for leading the secessionists pursuing independence for Tibet and plotting against China with the help of the US.
Therefore, China has opposed the monk’s meeting with different heads of states as well as his trips to countries that depend on Beijing for investment.
The Dalai Lama fled a failed uprising in Tibet in 1959 and retired from politics in 2011. However, he maintains that he seeks only greater autonomy for Tibetan areas in China. Beijing regards Tibet as an integral part of its territory.
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