China lauds Sri Lanka for not permitting Dalai Lama's visit

BEIJING: China today lauded the new Sri Lankan government for not allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the Buddhist-majority country disregarding the wishes of its influential monks to invite the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Reacting to reports from Colombo that Sri Lankan government would not like to displease the Chinese government by inviting Dalai Lama, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying told a media briefing here today that Beijing is firmly opposed to the Tibetan leader's visit to any country.

"The Chinese side has made clear its position on Dalai Lama on many occasions. We are firmly opposed to the visits by the Dalai Lama," she said.

China is also opposed to countries to "provide venues of connivance" for Dalai Lama to visit their countries, she said.

"Sri Lanka is friendly neighbour of China and Sri Lankan side respects and understand relevant concerns of China on this issue. We would like to make joint efforts with Sri Lanka to cement our traditional friendship," she said.

Earlier some of the high ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist monks who attended last month's conference on Theravada Buddhism in India had expressed their wish to invite the Dalai Lama after he lamented during the meeting that he was treated well by Hindus, Christians and Muslims while Buddhist countries shun him.

Reports from Colombo quoted Sri Lankan officials as saying that while Sri Lankans respect the Dalai Lama, the government would not like to displease the Chinese government by inviting him to the country.