BEIJING, January 29 – China on Thursday protested a visit by a US State Department official to the exiled Dalai Lama’s government in India, urging the United States not to support him in any way.
“The US side should abide by its commitment (to acknowledge) that Tibet is part of China and oppose Tibet independence without supporting the Dalai Lama in any form,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman told AFP.
She made the remark after the first ever visit by a US State Department official to the Dalai Lama’s base in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala.
Melissa R. Pitotti, program officer for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration for Asia and the Near East, arrived Saturday to supervise the use of US government funds granted to the Tibetans.
“We have consistently been opposed to governmental exchanges between countries with diplomatic relations with China and the Dalai Lama clique in any form,” the foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
“We are also opposed to any act of supporting the Dalai Lama’s splittist activities by any person or in any form,” she said.
China occupied Tibet in 1951. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in 1959 with thousands of supporters after an abortive revolt against Chinese rule.
