By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, July 13: China on Tuesday asked India to “honour its commitments and cautiously handle” issues related to Tibet and Tibetan exiles in India, Chinese state-controlled news agency said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang’s remark at a regular news briefing in Beijing follows Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao’s meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibet’s government in exile in north India, on Saturday.
China has made clear its stance on the issue to the Indian side, Xinhua news agency cited Qin as saying.
“The Indian government has repeatedly acknowledged to China that it recognizes Tibet as part of China’s territory and does not allow exiled Tibetans to conduct anti-China activities on the Indian territory,” Qin told reporters.
Rao’s visit to Dharamsala was kept away from the media like earlier visits by her predecessors Syam Saran and Shiv Shankar Menon.
Tibetan government-in-exile has expressed happiness after Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao’s meeting with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala which lasted for about an hour. Top Tibetan officials, including Tibetan prime minister Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, were also present in the meeting.
An Official in the Dalai Lama’s office said “issues of common interests” were discussed during the meeting.
Tibetan officials said Rao’s visit, which came less than a week after India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon met Chinese premiere Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councillor Dai Binguo in Beijing, was a routine courtesy call to the Dalai Lama.
Indian government officials had declined to comment on Rao’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, who last week celebrated his 75th birthday.
Indian main-stream media speculated that the Rao’s visit could reflect India’s indignation over the Chinese actions harming India’s legitimate concerns.
Indo-Chinese relations have become increasingly prickly in recent times over such issues as trade, their disputed Himalayan border and China’s recent actions vis-a-vis Pakistan.
Indian media also reported the discussions between Rao and the exiled Tibetan leadership touched on the activities of Tibetan exiles in India.
The Dalai Lama usually describes India’s position on Tibet as “overcautious.”
During the visit, Rao was also greeted by more radical Tibetan refugees who asked the Indian government to review its policy of accepting the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of China, and pushed for independence.
