Dalai Lama's representatives leave China

The Dalai Lama's representatives departed today from China with a solid offer from Beijing for future talks, marking a small step toward expanding dialogue between the two sides following anti-government riots in Tibet.

"It was a good first step," special envoy Lodi Gyari said at the Hong Kong airport today as he and Kelsang Gyaltsen prepared to return to Dharmsala, India, the home of the exiled Tibetan leader.