New talks to be held with Dalai Lama team

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-30 07:05

The central government plans to schedule another round of talks with the private representatives of the Dalai Lama "in the near future", Xinhua reported Wednesday quoting an unnamed official.

The meeting will be arranged at the request of the Dalai Lama side, Xinhua said, without mentioning a date.

The meeting will be held despite the Lhasa riots in March and serious disruptions in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games by a handful of Tibetan secessionists, the official said.

The government hopes the Dalai Lama's delegation "treasures this opportunity and responds positively to the requirements set forth by the central authorities", he said.

Government representatives met with envoys of the Dalai Lama in May and again in July, when the Dalai Lama's representatives accepted the central government's requirements:

not to support activities attempting to disrupt the upcoming Olympic Games;

not to support plots trying to fan violent criminal activities;

not to support, and take concrete steps to curb, terrorist activities of the pro-secession "Tibetan Youth Congress"; and

not to support any words or action seeking "Tibetan independence" and splitting the region from the country.

The announcement on the planned talks came a day after the Dalai Lama had reportedly called a special meeting of Tibetan exile communities and political organizations next month.

The five-day gathering, scheduled for mid-November, could mark a shift in the Dalai Lama's strategy for dealing with the central government, foreign media have reported.

The Dalai Lama said over the weekend at a public function in Dharamsala, India, that he had "been sincerely pursuing the middle way approach" in dealing with the central government for a long time but "there hasn't been any positive response".

"As far as I'm concerned, I have given up," he said in a statement.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at Tuesday's regular press conference that the central government had consistently and explicitly adhered to policies toward the Dalai Lama, and adopted a sincere attitude in communicating with him.

"We hope by contacts with the central government, the Dalai Lama recognizes the existing situation and do good for the Tibetan people in his lifetime," she said.

Xinhua - Agencies