China opposes Dalai Lama`s planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh

Beijing, Oct 20 (PTI) Amid the Sino-India verbal spat
over Arunachal Pradesh, China Tuesday said it was "greatly
concerned" by the Dalai Lama's planned visit to the state even
as it rapped the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader for indulging
in "anti-China separatism."
China is "firmly opposed" to a planned visit to
Arunachal Pradesh by the Dalai Lama, Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said here.
"China's position on so-called Arunachal Pradesh is
consistent and clear and we firmly oppose the Dalai Lama's
visit to the region," Ma said, indicating Beijing's stand that
Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed area.
"China is greatly concerned over the news. We believe
this further exposes the Dalai Lama's nature of anti-China
separatism, as is known to all," he said when asked to comment
on the Tibetan Nobel laureate's planned visit to Arunachal
Pradesh next month.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after China
crushed an uprising in Tibet, is denounced by Beijing as a
"splittist" despite his calls for genuine autonomy rather than
full independence for his Himalayan homeland.
India has said that the Dalai Lama is free to visit any
part of the country.
Ma's statement on China's opposition to Dalai Lama's
visit to Arunachal Pradesh comes a week after Beijing strongly
protested over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the
state on October 3. PTI