China is strongly against any foreign government or organization's meeting with the 14th Dalai Lama in any name, as such practice deviates from their commitment that the Chinese government is the sole legitimate government of China, a senior official said on Saturday. [Special coverage]
The 14th Dalai Lama is not only a religious figure but also a political figure. After fleeing China in 1959, he established a so-called government-in-exile, whose goal and core agenda is the independence of Tibet and to separate China. For decades, the group, headed by the 14th Dalai Lama, has never stopped such attempts, Zhang Yijiong, executive vice-minister of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee, said.
"The fact is that there is not a single legitimate government in the world that recognizes the so-called Tibet government-in-exile. Although the Dalai Lama has been received by certain officials, the governments that those officials work for actually don't recognize his group," he added.
Zhang made the remarks in a news conference on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Zhang said China is opposed to any foreign government or organization receiving the 14th Dalai Lama in all circumstances. Such behavior hurts the feelings of the Chinese people and shows disrespects to China's sovereignty, he said.
"I hope the governments of foreign countries can speak and act cautiously (on this matter). They need to take the friendship with China and the respect to China's sovereignty into consideration," he said.
Zhang said there is no country in the world that will not protest about foreign governments receiving an individual who goes around the world with the intention of separating the home country.
"So it is inevitable for China to state strong opposition when the 14th Dalai Lama visits foreign countries and even is received by some senior officials," Zhang said.
He added that less and less government officials would meet with the 14th Dalai Lama in recent years. "Now he often could only make speeches at universities or conduct some religious activities," he said.
