China meets Dalai Lama envoy

Updated 12.04 Tue Jul 01 2008

Keywords: China, Beijing Olympics, Tibet, Dalai Lama

Senior envoys of the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are holding fence-mending talks with the Chinese Government, weeks before Beijing hosts the Olympics.

It is their second closed-door meeting since rioting erupted in Tibet in March and heaped international pressure on China to deal with the Nobel laureate.

"We oppose any foreign leader meeting the Dalai Lama in any setting and oppose linking the Olympic Games to the Tibet issue" - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao

The rioting has caused alarm around the world and led to French President Nicolas Sarkozy releasing a statement saying his decision on whether to attend the Beijing Olympics would be based on whether he sees progress in the Tibet talks.

A senior aide to the Dalai Lama confirmed the talks have begun, but China shrouded the meeting in secrecy, declining to confirm or deny details.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said he could not give any more details of the meeting between the Dalai Lama's envoys and Chinese officials.

When asked about the alarm the Tibet riots, caused Liu said: "Tibet is our internal affair, and the Chinese government's relevant department's contacts with the Dalai Lama's representatives are an internal affair, and we oppose any foreign leader meeting the Dalai Lama in any setting and oppose linking the Olympic Games to the Tibet issue."

The Dalai Lama's talks coincides with a visit to China by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who pressed Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Tibet and human rights matters, saying Americans felt deeply.

The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.