China insists Tibet should not be linked to Olympics
China insisted Tuesday that Tibet should not be linked to the Olympics, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his attendance at the opening ceremony hinged on Chinese talks with the Dalai Lama.
By Agencies |
BEIJING: China insisted Tuesday that Tibet should not be linked to the Olympics, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his attendance at the opening ceremony hinged on Chinese talks with the Dalai Lama.
"We oppose connecting Tibetan-related issues with the Beijing Olympics and we oppose politicising the Beijing Olympics," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists.
"Tibetan affairs is an internal affair of China and the contact between the central government and the private representatives of the Dalai is also an internal affair of China," Liu said.
Liu was asked to comment on statements made by Sarkozy in Paris on Monday that his attendance at the opening ceremony would depend on progress in talks between China and envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.
Sarkozy said he would announce next week whether he would attend the opening ceremony in the Chinese capital.
"If they continue to progress and if the Dalai Lama and the Chinese president recognise this progress, then all obstacles to my participation will have been lifted," Sarkozy said.
The decision by China to hold the talks was widely seen as a response to international condemnation of its crackdown on protests in Tibet in March that embarrassed Beijing ahead of the Olympics.
"We oppose connecting Tibetan-related issues with the Beijing Olympics and we oppose politicising the Beijing Olympics," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists.
"Tibetan affairs is an internal affair of China and the contact between the central government and the private representatives of the Dalai is also an internal affair of China," Liu said.
Liu was asked to comment on statements made by Sarkozy in Paris on Monday that his attendance at the opening ceremony would depend on progress in talks between China and envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.
Sarkozy said he would announce next week whether he would attend the opening ceremony in the Chinese capital.
"If they continue to progress and if the Dalai Lama and the Chinese president recognise this progress, then all obstacles to my participation will have been lifted," Sarkozy said.
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Chinese officials and the Dalai Lama's envoys were due to begin two-days of fence minding talks in Beijing on Tuesday. However Liu would not say whether the talks had begun.The decision by China to hold the talks was widely seen as a response to international condemnation of its crackdown on protests in Tibet in March that embarrassed Beijing ahead of the Olympics.
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