China Reiterates Opposition to US Leaders Meeting with Dalai Lama

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 12, 2003

China Reiterates Opposition to US Leaders Meeting with Dalai Lama

China Thursday stressed its strong opposition to the US allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the country and its leaders' meeting with him.

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China on Thursday reiterated its strong opposition to the United States allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the US and meet with US leaders.

Kong said China had lodged representations with the United States on the Dalai Lama's visit and his meetings with officials, calling for the United States to keep its promise that it acknowledged Tibet as part of China and did not support the "independence of Tibet".

He said the Dalai Lama was not just a religious figure, but a political figure in exile, who had been engaged in long-term activities attempting to split China and sabotage China's national unity.

China urged the United States to stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China's internal affairs which would harm China-US relations, the spokesman said.

Kong said China's attitude and policy to the Dalai Lama was "very clear".

The Dalai Lama must truly stop activities that aimed to separate China, and must clearly acknowledge that Tibet and Taiwan were both parts of China. And under such conditions, the channel of contacts between both sides is fully opened, the spokesman said.

Talking about the European Commission's new strategy document to guide European Union (EU) policy and action towards China, Kong said China appreciates and welcomes the EU's efforts to enhance China-EU relations.

"The constantly expansion and deepening of comprehensive co-operation between China and the EU and the enhancement of co-ordination and consultation on international and regional affairs meet the interests of both sides and benefit world peace, stability and development under the current international situation,'' Kong said.

When asked to comment on the Pentagon's annual report to the US Congress which says China is adding 75 short-range missiles to its arsenal each year that could possibly reach Taiwan and that China is obtaining technology superior to that of US forces, Kong said there is nothing to criticize in the national defence measures and military deployments of China, as the country is a sovereign state safeguarding its national security and territorial integrity.

"China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, practises a national defence policy that is defensive in nature and sticks to the road of peaceful development,'' Kong said.

Turning to the consultation among foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on Iraq, Kong said the new UN resolution should be conducive to maintaining peace and order in Iraq, to promoting the Iraq's resumption of its sovereignty and to speeding up its reconstruction.

"The full involvement of the UN role in the effort to reach this goal is indispensable,'' Kong said.

He said China is seriously studying the proposal by the United States and supports some ideas proposed by France, Germany and Russia during the UN discussion.

"We are willing to have in-depth exchanges of views with all parties and will take a constructive attitude in the consultations,'' he said, adding that China hopes consensus can be reached as soon as possible.

At the invitation of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing will attend the consultations of the proposal in Geneva this weekend.

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