China says talks on Tibet only with Dalai Lama’s representatives; rules out dialogue on autonomy


PTI, Apr 26, 2024, 5:27 PM IST

Representative image (source: Shutterstock)

Beijing: China on Friday said it will talk only with the representatives of the Dalai Lama and not the officials of the Tibetan government in exile based in India but ruled out dialogue on the highest Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader’s long-pending demand for autonomy for his remote Himalayan homeland.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin was reacting to reports of the back-channel talks between the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Chinese government when he said China regards the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamshala as a “separatist” bloc.

“The so-called Xizang’s government-in-exile is a completely separatist political bloc. It is totally against the Chinese Constitution and laws. It is illegal,” Wang told a media briefing here. “No country has recognised it.”

On Thursday, Sikyong or the political head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, told a visiting group of journalists in Dharamshala, India, “We have had back-channel (engagement) since last year. But we have no immediate expectations from it. It has to be a long-term (one).”

Insisting that the talks are “very informal,” the head of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said, “I have my interlocutor who deals with people in Beijing. Then there are other elements also trying to reach out to us.”

According to Wang, the Chinese government has “two basic principles for contacts with this (Dalai Lama’s) group.” “First, we will only have talks with the representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama instead of the so-called representatives of the so-called government-in-exile or the so-called administrative centre,” Wang said.

Secondly, the topics for talks will be only for the arrangements and not for the “so-called autonomy” of Tibet, the main demand of the 88-year-old Dalai Lama.

“They should have some self-introspection and refrain from all activities sabotaging the stability of Xizang and go back to the right way so that we can move towards the next step,” Wang said without elaborating.

From 2002 to 2010, the Dalai Lama’s representatives and the Chinese government held nine rounds of dialogue that did not produce any concrete outcome. The Tibetan side pitched for genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people in line with the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle-Way Policy.’ No formal talks have been held since after 2010.

In Dharamshala, another senior Tibetan leader indicated that the back-channel talks are aimed at reviving the overall dialogue process as it is the only way out to resolve the Tibetan issue.

The 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 and came to India where he set up the government-in-exile at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theatre debuts

BMW hit-and-run case: HC refuses to release accused Mihir Shah on ground of ‘illegal’ arrest

Perth Test, Day 4: Siraj removes Smith as Australia go into lunch at 104 for five

Skipper Rohit Sharma hit nets following arrival in Perth, will play two-day game in Canberra

UP: Misled by ‘Google Maps’, car falls into river from incomplete bridge, 3 dead

Kangana takes ‘demon’ jibe at MVA, says it lost Maharashtra for disrespecting women

Eastern states were considered backward earlier, I view them as India’s growth engine: PM Modi

Related Articles More

COP29: India rejects new USD 300 billion climate finance deal

Royal tour of India in offing for King Charles, Queen Camilla: Report

Indian-American leaders applaud PM Modi for inclusive growth in India

COP29: Civil society protests climate finance proposal, calls for ‘no deal’ over ‘bad deal’

Bomb disposal squad tackles ‘security incident’ at UK’s Gatwick Airport

MUST WATCH

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar


Latest Additions

‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theatre debuts

Independent winner extends unconditional support to BJP

Those rejected by people trying to control Parliament: PM Modi

BMW hit-and-run case: HC refuses to release accused Mihir Shah on ground of ‘illegal’ arrest

Those rejected by people trying to control Parliament: PM Modi

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.