China yesterday expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio's meeting with the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama is a separatist figure hiding under the cloak of religion, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said, urging Portugal to ensure the incident will not be repeated.
Before the Dalai Lama's arrival on Saturday, Chinese Ambassador Lu Boyuan criticized the Portuguese Government for not preventing the visit, which he said the Dalai Lama would use as a political platform.
The Portuguese Government has stressed the Dalai Lama is on a private visit to the country to talk with high-level officials including President Sampaio.
The Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure but engaged in political activities, seeking to separate Tibet from China, the spokeswoman said, adding that China opposes his separatist activities in all forms.
China also opposes invitations to and meetings with the Dalai Lama from government officials of any country or region, Zhang said.
When asked to comment on the situation in Nepal, Zhang said the Chinese Government resolutely supports all moves taken by the Nepalese king and government to restore peace and stability in the country.
Nepal's King Gyanendra on Monday declared a state of emergency and ordered the army, for the first time, to crush guerrillas fighting to topple the monarchy after the worst violence in the country in five years.
"We hope and believe Nepal will be able to continue to maintain peace, stability and development," Zhang noted.
Also yesterday - the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - Zhang reiterated China's position on the Middle East peace process.
She said China is "deeply concerned" and "seriously uneasy" about the escalation of conflict between Palestine and Israel, noting China hopes the relevant parties will implement conscientiously the agreement to stop the escalation. "China supports any effort conducive to the early restoration of peace in the Middle East," said Zhang.
(China Daily November 30, 2001)
