China miffed over Blinken’s meet with Dalai Lama’s representative

World

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met a representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi on Wednesday. Mr. Blinken had met with the Director of the Bureau of the Dalai Lama in Delhi, Ngodup Dongchung and also met with a group of civil society representatives, which included Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director of Tibet House in New Delhi.

Asked by Chinese media to comment on the meeting, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Thursday slams out at the U.S., saying “Tibetan affairs are purely China’s internal affairs that allow no foreign interference.”

“China firmly opposes any form of contact between foreign officials and the Dalai Lama,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. “Any form of contact between the U.S. side and the Dalai clique is a violation of the U.S. commitment to acknowledging Tibet being part of China, to not supporting ‘Tibetan Independence’, and to not supporting attempts to separate China. The U.S side should honour its commitment, stop meddling in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of Tibetan affairs, and offer no support to the ‘Tibetan independence’ forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities. China will take all necessary measures to defend its own interests.”

Meanwhile, Blinken after meeting civil society leaders, including the Tibetan monk, said ” I was pleased to meet civil society leaders today. The US and India share a commitment to democratic values; this is part of the bedrock of our relationship and reflective of India’s pluralistic society and history of harmony. Civil society helps advance these values”, Blinken had tweeted.