New Delhi
14 November 2007
The Dalai Lama is using religion as a cover for trying to split China,
Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi on Wednesday said on the sidelines of a function
chaired by Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee at the Foreign Service Institute in New
Delhi.
"He is not only a religious leader ... he is using religion as cover to split China," Mr Sun said,
adding that the Tibetan spiritual leader is engaging in activities to "separate" China. The envoy
was responding to questions on Beijing's attitude towards the Dalai Lama and New Delhi's
decision to bar ministers and serving officials from participating in a function to honour the
Tibetan spiritual leader.
"We don't want any friend to encourage the Dalai Lama to split China," he added.
Mr Sun said that the newly set up working group to devise a framework agreement on the India-
China boundary question might meet ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China
in January next year.
"We are trying to have the meeting," he told this newspaper. The next round of India-China
strategic dialogue is scheduled to take place ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. Foreign
Secretary Shivshankar Menon will chair that meeting. Both countries will also hold foreign office
consultations next week followed by discussions on counter-terrorism early next month,
besides holding trade consultations and cultural exchanges.
The envoy was not particularly forthcoming on China's position on India's quest for a permanent
seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council. "I hope India plays a larger and better role
in the UN Security Council," is all he would say. "Lets us wait and see," was his cryptic reply to
China's attitude towards the India-US nuclear deal.
Mr Sun said that the bilateral relations were "very good" and he noted that UPA Chairperson
Sonia Gandhi was the "first guest" to visit Beijing after China's 17th Party Congress. "It gave a
boost to our good relationship," he added.
The working group on the boundary question was set up after Minister of External Affairs Pranab
Mukherjee visited China last month. Joint Secretary (East Asia) Vijay Gokhale is expected to
head the working group on the Indian side. He will assist National Security Adviser MK
Narayanan, who is the Indian special representative for the boundary talks with China.
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