By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, November 26: France says China has postponed a summit with the EU planned for next week because several European countries are hosting the Dalai Lama, according to media reports.
EU diplomats reportedly say China has been angered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to meet the Dalai Lama.
Mr Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency until the end of next month, has said would hold a long-awaited meeting with the Dalai Lama during his visit to Gdansk, Poland, on December 6.
“The Chinese authorities have informed the European Union of their decision to request the postponement of the 11th European Union-China summit, scheduled to take place on December 1,” the EU said in a statement on Wednesday.
“They said their decision was due to the fact that the Dalai Lama will at the same time undertake a new visit in several countries of the Union and will meet on this occasion heads of state and government.”
On November 14, China warned Sarkozy that his country risks losing “hard-won” gains in ties with Beijing if he meets the Dalai Lama, after he announced that he would meet the exiled Tibetan leader next week.
“The European Union, which set ambitious aims for the 11th European Union-China summit, takes note and regrets this decision by China,” the statement said.
EU said it plans to continue to “promote the strategic partnership it has with China, particularly at a time when the world economic and financial situation calls for close cooperation between Europe and China.”
Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang reportedly said “we oppose any foreign leaders having any contact” with the Dalai Lama.
The French president drew China’s ire earlier in the year after Sarkozy threatened to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games unless Beijing showed progress in talks on Tibet.
But Mr Sarkozy declined a meeting with the Dalai Lama during the latter’s visit to France in August supposedly after Beijing warned that such direct contact would have serious consequences for bilateral relations.
The Dalai Lama left Dharamsala, his exile hometown in northern India, for a visit to Nigeria and subsequently to Czech Republic, Belgium and Poland.
From Dharamsala the Dalai Lama travels extensively around the world promoting human values, teaching Buddhism and, advocating for Tibetan rights and their struggle for greater freedom. He often meets with world leaders to present the case of Tibet.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China, which sent military troops to occupy the predominantly Buddhist Himalayan country in 1949, and has routinely protested against countries that agree to visits by him.
The Dalai Lama says he is only seeking a “real and meaningful” autonomy for Tibetan people within China and opposes the use of violence.
Eight rounds of talks between his envoys and Chinese representatives over the Tibet issue did not make any headway.
China says it is sincere about the talks, but categorically rejected a “Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People” put forward by the Tibetan envoys during the latest round of talks in all its form, forcing Tibetans to call on their leaders last week to stop sending envoys to Beijing for further talks until China makes sufficient effort to resolve Tibet issue.
