Moscow, July 4 : Chinese State Administration for Religious Affairs Director Ye Xiaowen praised the organization of a World Summit of Religious Leaders taking place in Moscow and thanked the Russian government for its understanding on the issue of Dalai Lama XIV’s visit to Russia.
“This summit in the run-up to the G8 meeting is of great significance. The unanimous voice of the religious leaders will be heard by the leaders to take part at the G8 summit,” Ye told journalists following a meeting with Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad in Moscow on Tuesday.
The Chinese leadership was satisfied to learn that the Dalai Lama was denied entry to Russia to take part in the religious summit, Ye said. “The Dalai Lama is not only a religious figure but also a politician, who is engaged in dissident activities against his country,” he said.
There are about 100 million believers in China, “who are a very important force for harmonization of society and for building a society of well-being,” he said.
