China blasts Sarkozy's Dalai Lama meeting as 'unwise'

By EUbusiness.com
December 07, 2008

Chinese state media on Sunday blasted French President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama as an "unwise move" that has undermined relations with Beijing.

Sarkozy, who currently holds the EU presidency, met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader in Poland, risking a new flare-up of Chinese anger after mass demonstrations picketing French stores earlier this year.

"This development is indeed an unwise move which not only hurts the feelings of the Chinese people, but also undermines Sino-French ties," said a commentary by the official Xinhua news agency.

Sarkozy is the only European head of state to meet the Dalai Lama -- whom Beijing accuses of seeking independence for his Chinese-controlled Himalayan homeland -- while holding the EU presidency.

China's foreign ministry declined to issue an immediate response to the meeting on Sunday.

However, the talks at a gathering of Nobel Peace Prize laureates were preceded by repeated Chinese warnings that Sino-French ties, including their burgeoning trade relationship, could be harmed.

"The Chinese government and people... stand firmly against any foreign leader's contact with (the Dalai Lama) in any form," Xinhua said.

"The French side, however, in total disregard of China's grave concern and the general situation of Sino-French relations, took an opportunistic, rash and short-sighted approach to handling the Tibet issue."

After the meeting, Sarkozy took pains to play down any split with China and stressed he was free to talk to whomever he wants.

"The Dalai Lama confirmed what I already knew, that he will not demand independence for Tibet, and I told him how important I thought it was to pursue dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities," he said.

He added: "I am free as the French president and the EU president, I have values and convictions. Let's not make things tense, the world doesn't need it and it doesn't correspond to reality."

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