Dalai Lama welcomes China's offer of talks

The Dalai Lama said he welcomes China’s offer to meet his envoy, but he wants serious talks to reduce resentment about Chinese rule in Tibet.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said today he has yet to receive detailed information about the offer, but that talks would be good.

He said the two sides need to explore the causes of the problems and seek solutions through talks. He was speaking to reporters in Dharamsala, India, after his return from a two-week visit to the US.

China has agreed to meet an envoy of the Dalai Lama following rising calls for talks in the wake of Tibetans’ anti-government protests, which threaten to tarnish this summer’s Beijing Olympic Games.

The Chinese statement repeated long-established preconditions for negotiations, including that the Dalai Lama unambiguously recognise Tibet as a part of China - a situation that could forestall any immediate breakthroughs.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile, said the Dalai Lama was always open to discussions.

But he cautioned that “the present circumstances in Tibet do not appear to be an appropriate platform for a meaningful dialogue”.