China lashes out at Antony Blinken’s meeting with Dalai Lama aide in New Delhi
By Team Newsable | First Published Jul 29, 2021, 6:24 PM ISTOn Wednesday, Blinken met Ngodup Dongchung, an official in the Tibetan government-in-exile and representative of the Dalai Lama. This meeting is a clear signal to China about the Biden administration's continued support of the Tibetan cause.
China on Thursday lashed out at US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with a senior representative of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi. Reacting angrily, Beijing said it is a violation of Washington's commitment to acknowledging Tibet as part of China and not to support Tibetian independence.
On Wednesday, Blinken met Ngodup Dongchung, an official in the Tibetan government-in-exile and representative of the Dalai Lama. This meeting is a clear signal to China about the Biden administration's continued support of the Tibetan cause.
Latest Videos
In the meeting, Dongchung thanked Blinken for the continued support by the US to the Tibetan movement.
When asked, a spokesperson of the US State Department told PTI, "Secretary Blinken had an opportunity to meet briefly this morning in New Delhi with a representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Central Tibetan Administration Representative Ngodup Dongchung."
Asked for his reaction by the official media at a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, "Tibetan affairs are purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference”.
"The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means just a religious person but rather a political exile who has long been engaged in anti-China separatist activities attempting to split Tibet from China," he said.
He further added that China firmly opposes all forms of contact between foreign officials and the Dalai Lama.
"Any formal contact between the US and the Dalai clique is a violation of the US commitment to acknowledge Tibet as part of China and we urge the US to honour its commitment to stop meddling in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Tibetan affairs, and offer no support to Tibet independence forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities. China will take all necessary measures to defend its own interests,” he said.
The 14th Dalai Lama has made India his home since fleeing his Tibetan homeland in 1959. The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met in formal negotiations since 2010.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here. For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.