Beijing – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has expressed regret that the Dalai Lama has not “genuinely” given up his demand for ‘Tibetan independence,’ a precondition for talks to resolve the long-pending Tibet issue.
“So long as the Dalai Lama genuinely abandons his position on seeking Tibetan independence and publicly recognises Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of Chinese territory, contacts and discussions between him and the central government can resume,” Wen told the ‘Washington Post’ in an interview prior to his first official visit to the United States next month.
“Regrettably, the Dalai Lama has not genuinely given up his position of Tibet independence and has not given up the separatist activities aimed at splitting the motherland. He also has not recognised that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” Wen, who would be visiting Washington in the first week of December, said.
At the same time, Wen, who assumed charge of premiership in March this year, stressed that the door to communication between China’s central government and the Dalai Lama remains wide open. He also said that the Chinese government has taken note of the recent remarks by the Dalai Lama but still needs to watch very carefully what he really does.
Analysts said that the Tibet issue is likely to figure prominently during Wen’s talks with his host, US President George W. Bush, who despite strong protests from Beijing, has met with the Dalai Lama twice, the latest in September.
Washington has said that it would seek ways to encourage Beijing to continue the dialogue with the envoys of the Dalai Lama on a substantive basis.
The Dalai Lama’s envoys have been to Beijing twice since late last year for talks that, if successful, could pave the way for his return to Tibet, which he fled to India after a foiled uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
The Dalai Lama says that his struggle for genuine autonomy in Tibet does not advocate Tibetan independence, but greater autonomy from China.
However, China continues to accuse the Nobel Peace Prize winner of being a political exile, who wants to separate the Himalayan region from rest of China. The Dalai Lama is not “purely” a religious figure, but a political figure in exile, who has engaged in China-separating and national-unity-destroying activities for a long time, Chinese foreign ministry often says.
Beijing has also repeatedly urged Washington to stop using the Tibet issue to interfere with China’s internal affairs so as to not harm China-US relations. China views Tibet as an inalienable part of its territory and opposes any official contact between the Dalai Lama and any foreign government.
