Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he won’t be influenced by China when he decides whether to meet Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, next month.
China has issued a thinly veiled warning to Australian political leaders not to meet the Dalai Lama when he comes to Australia soon for a 10-day visit.
Mr Howard says he will meet the Dalai Lama if he can.
“I make decisions in relation to what I think is right,” he said.
“And I know that this country has a good relationship with China, but in relation to who I meet, that is a matter for me.
“I don’t, in deciding who I will or can meet, I don’t seek advice from others, no matter who they might be.”
China views the Dalai Lama as the leader of a Tibetan independence movement, although he has denied that and says he only wants autonomy for his homeland.
In 1959, the Dalai Lama and his followers fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and set up base in northern India.
Three decades later he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent opposition to Beijing’s presence in Tibet.
