Chinese FM holds phone talks with German counterpart on Tibet issue

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-16-2008 13:34

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi spoke with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the phone Tuesday afternoon. The issue of Tibet was the focus of the phone conversation, and Yang Jiechi explained China's stance.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi spoke with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the phone Tuesday afternoon.

The Chinese Foreign Minister says in the past decades the Dalai Lama has never really given up attempts to separate Tibet from China and has never stopped separatist activities.

Yang Jiechi says the Dalai Lama doesn't acknowledge the fact that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and denounces the current ethnic autonomous system in Tibet. Yang Jiechi says the essence of the "middle path" or "genuine autonomy" the Dalai advocates is to restore the old ruling system combining politics and religion in Tibet.

China's foreign minister says the Dalai Lama's ultimate goal is to set up a grand Tibetan area covering one fourth of Chinese territory that has never existed in history. He says the Dalai wants the central government to withdraw troops from this area and evict all non-Tibetan ethnic groups. Yang Jiechi says it's self-evident that independence lies at the bottom of all of the Dalai Lama's activities.

But Yang Jiechi says the Chinese central government has been in regular contact with the Dalai clique, showing great patience despite his separatist activities. He says the door is still open for dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

The foreign minister also says the Chinese central government is willing to continue engagement and consultations with the Dalai Lama at any time once the Dalai and his supporters stop separatist activities, cease masterminding and instigating violent activities and refrain from any activities harming the Beijing Olympic Games.

Editor:Zhang Ning