China protested yesterday over the Dalai Lama's scheduled trip to the US next month, asking Washington not to allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to go ahead with it.
"The Chinese side expresses grave concern over this matter," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.
"We have made representation to the American side over this matter, and have requested the US government strictly abide by its promise to recognize Tibet as a part of China, to not support `Tibet independence,' and to not allow the Dalai Lama to go to the US to engage in activities to split China."
The Dalai Lama is expected to meet President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell during his Sept. 4 to 24 visit, his press secretary said on Monday.
China was swift to condemn the plan, saying it would jeopardize moves to build bridges between the exiled leader and Beijing.
"We know very well what the Dalai Lama is up to," said Jampa Phutsok, the Beijing-appointed chairman of Tibet, speaking in the Tibetan capital Lhasa earlier this week to a group of foreign reporters allowed to make a rare visit to the region.
"We are strongly opposed to [President] Bush seeing the Dalai Lama under any guise, this will not be beneficial to the talks with the central government and his [the Dalai Lama's] efforts to improve relations [with China]," he said.
The Dalai Lama will be in Washington for the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and will take part in a remembrance ceremony at the National Cathedral.
He last met the US president in May 2001 at the White House.
China, which has ruled Tibet since 1951, views Tibet as a part of its territory and opposes any official contact between the Dalai Lama and any foreign government.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after an uprising against Chinese rule was crushed by the army.
Since last fall, envoys of the Dalai Lama have twice visited Beijing for talks with Chinese officials. If successful, the negotiations could pave the way for the return to Tibet of the spiritual leader revered by the Tibetan people.
The Tibetan government-in-exile on Monday also said it was considering sending envoys back to China to help pave the way for "serious negotiations" on the Tibet issue.
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