Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit will damage ties with India: China

BEIJING: China today objected to Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the invitation to the Tibetan spiritual leader "will only damage peace and stability of the border areas" as well as its ties with India.

The invitation to the "Dalai Lama for activity in the disputed areas between China and India will only damage peace stability of the border areas as well as the bilateral relationship between China and India", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

His comments were in response to Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh early next year at the invitation of the state's Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

The visit is understood to have been cleared by the Centre.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

Last week, Beijing reacted strongly to American envoy Richard Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang, saying the Ambassador visited a "disputed region".

The Dalai Lama is likely to visit Tawang, the seat of a Buddhist monastery.