Dalai Lama trip ‘won’t change’ China’s aim

The Dalai Lama’s actions won’t change Beijing’s position on Tibet-related issues and the boundary question, a Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, after India invited the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed eastern section of the China-India boundary despite China’s concerns.

The Dalai Lama’s behavior, like claiming to be a “son of India” and endorsing false statements by the so-called Arunachal Pradesh officials in disputed areas in Southern Tibet, indicate that the Dalai Lama clique’s position is thoroughly “foreign”, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

Lu made the remarks when asked to comment on the Dalai Lama’s attack on the Chinese government during his stay in the disputed region, as well as Indian officials’ repeated, inappropriate speeches over the boundary question.

China strongly objected to India over the visit, and Lu said China will “take further measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and national security”.

“The 14th Dalai Lama’s show won’t change China’s position one bit on the boundary question and Tibet-related issues,” Lu said. On the contrary, it will only make people see more clearly the Dalai Lama’s true intention to split China and undermine the interests of its people, including the Tibetan ethnic group, all under the cover “of religion”, Lu added.

The spokesman also slammed India’s insistence on inviting the Dalai Lama to the disputed region and “indulging” him, as well as Indian officials making provocative political speeches.

This shows that the Dalai Lama’s trip goes beyond what India claimed to be “religious activities”, Lu said. It also shows that India had violated the “solemn commitment” it made over Tibet-related issues, and its behavior will adversely affect the two countries’ efforts to solve territorial disputes through negotiations, he added.

“The boundary question and Tibet-related issues bear on the political foundation of China-India relations,” Lu said, urging India to stop “provocative moves”.

Jia Duqiang, a researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said India “will gain nothing from the move”, which will damage its ties with Beijing.

“China will not make any concessions when it comes to its core interests, sovereignty and Tibet-related issues”, he said.

Jia said to repair ties, India must give assurances that such incidents will not happen again.