China strongly opposed a so-called Congressional gold medal to
Dalai Lama from the US Congress and the presence of President
George W. Bush to the awarding ceremony, and strongly urged the US
side to cancel such arrangement.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Sunday night that
the awarding to Dalai Lama and the presence of the US leaders have
severely trampled on the norms of international relations, hurt the
feelings of the Chinese people, and are wild interference in
China's domestic affairs.
"China is strongly resentful of and resolutely opposes this and
has made solemn represent to the US side. We seriously urged the US
side to correct such wrong doing and cancel relevant arrangement,
and stop interfering in China's domestic affairs in any forms," Liu
said.
He said Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory,
and the Tibet issue is purely China's internal affairs. China
resolutely opposes any country or any people to make use of the
Dalai Lama issue to interfere in its domestic affairs.
"The words and deeds of Dalai Lama in the dozens of years showed
that he is a political refugee engaging in separating the country
in the name of religion," Liu said.
He stressed that the Chinese people have undeviating resolution
to safeguard their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Any conspiracy using Dalai Lama issue to interfere in China's
internal affairs is destined to be defeated.
The White House said on Thursday that the US Congress planned to
award Dalai Lama the Congressional gold medal on October 17.
It is reported that though China has expressed its concern to
the US side, Bush will still attend the awarding ceremony and
probably will meet with Dalai Lama, according to the White
House.
(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)
