Government and Policy

Press conference on central govt's contacts with Dalai Lama (Text)

(Tibet.cn)
Updated: 2010-02-11 11:26
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Guo Weimin: Well, just as what Vice-Minister Zhu said, let's begin. Please tell us what news agency you represent when asking questions.

Reporter from CCTV: Thank you. My question is for Vice-Minister Zhu Weiqun. I wonder if this new talks are still as dead-locked as before? Do the two sides still refuse to budge? And what of the new contact? And what are the prospects of the future talks?

Zhu Weiqun: Just like the previous talks, the positions of the two sides are very different. As a matter of fact, we have become ourselves accustomed to these sharply divided positions, because we are totally opposed to each other on standpoints. However, I think we have made some progress during the recent talks.

Firstly, we arranged them to visit Chairman Mao Zedong's former residence at Shaoshan and tour in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province. This has made it possible for them to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge about the actual situation of our country as well as the implementation of our regional autonomy system.

Secondly, after an interval of more than one year, CPPCC Vice-Chairman Du Qinglin met with them again, briefing them on the development China has made in national construction, the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the recently concluded Fifth National Conference on Work in Tibet. This was helpful for them to better understand the policy and guidelines of the Central Government. As Du is Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and he is one of our national leaders, so therefore, we have given them quite high treatment in terms of arrangement.

Thirdly, my colleges and I have had a whole day talking with them. During this talks, we had a heated debate, but this debate was not totally negative. Through this debate, we can see where we stand differently and how big our differences are. And through this debate, the 14th Dalai Lama can also get the idea where he stands. Actually before and during each round of talks, I always said that no matter how unpleasant the words were from the other side, please listen to what he has to say and actually we have practiced this during each round of our talks. And this is quite an effective way.

Fourthly, this round of talks is different from the last one. Because during the last round of talks in November 2008, when our talks were about to end, Lodi Gyari was so unhappy when we rejected the "Memorandum for All Tibetans to Enjoy Genuine Autonomy" he submitted that he said he was not sure whether they would like to have the next round of talks with us. But this time he sincerely looks forward to the next round of talks. I think he has a better attitude this time.

Zhu Weiqun: And as to the prospects of the talks, our attitude and position are consistent as before--we will keep the door open for contact and talks with the private representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama. However, it will be impossible for them to talk with us with regards anything about the so-called "Greater Tibet" and "high degree of autonomy", which in fact means "half independence" or "convert independence". If the representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama insist that they should talk with us about things such as the "Dalai Lama is the the legal representative of Tibetans", and, on the other hand, refuse to talk about the future of the 14th Dalai Lama, then I think the result of future talks will remain to be the same as the talks held in 2002.

In November 2008, the so-called "special meeting on the future of Tibet" was held, deciding they would cease contact and talks with the Central Government. We do hope that they will not repeat this mistake in the future.

Reporter from Reuters: Thank you, I'm from Reuters. My question is that if the US president Barack Obama meets with the Dalai Lama later this year, and how would this affect Sino-US ties? Thank you.

Zhu Weiqun: The relationship between the Central Government and the 14th Dalai Lama is completely an internal affairs of China. Therefore we oppose any attempt from any foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs, by citing the 14th Dalai Lama as an excuse. On this issue our position and our attitude have been consistent, clear-cut and unchangeable. It was reported recently that US President Obama may meet with the 14th Dalai Lama soon, and if that is the case, we will adopt the position we held before that we strongly appose it. I believe if the US leader chooses to do such a thing, his behavior is unreasonable and with no benefits. Some people argue that the 14th Dalai Lama is merely a religious figure. Actually this is not the case. As I have said just now, he is not a religious figure; instead he is the head of a separatist political group, who leads a government-in-exile with an illegal constitution, a constitution which describes that the 14th Dalai Lama is the supreme head both politically and relationally of this political group. And I do urge those who know nothing about the illegal constitution to check about it.

Zhu Weiqun: Whenever the foreign political leaders meet the 14th Dalai Lama on grounds of a religious figure, I always feel it really unreasonable. Forgetting the fact, ignoring the 14th Dalai Lama's government-in-exile, and illegal constitution, someone calls him not a political figure. Is it reasonable? Such kind of statements is totally self-deceptive and they can't even persuade themselves. Since the US leaders admit that the People's Republic of China is the only legal government of China and admit Tibet is a part of China, why still have such a relationship with the 14th Dalai Lama, the leader of that government-in-exile? It heavily damages to the political foundation of Sino-US relations and totally breaches the international rules. It can be called unreasonable.

Zhu Weiqun: What does "with any benefit" mean? The relationship between China and the United States is one of the most important diplomatic relations for both countries and to develop the relations benefits both sides, especially at the time when the world is hit by the global financial crisis. If the leaders of the United States choose to meet with the 14th Dalai Lama at this point of time, it would inevitably threaten the trust and cooperation between the two countries. So, will it help the United State to get through the financial crisis? This is what I say "with any benefit". We Chinese look down upon those who seek for their own benefits at the expense of others, but what I explained just now means harming others without benefiting oneself.

For a long time, some in the United State have tried to use the available political and financial resources and the public sympathy in their countries to support the 14th Dalai Lama who is none other but the representative of the feudal serfdom featuring temporal and religious administration. Those people are doing this without benefiting themselves and it is not a good deal. The Chinese people will never turn a blind eye to those who are working to undermine China's territorial integrity, national unification and dignity. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: One should never expect the Chinese to swallow the bitter pill which harms their benefits. Of course, we don't want to see that happen, but if it does happen, then we will respond to make those relative countries realize this point.

Reporter from Wen Wei Po of Hong Hong: My question is for Vice -Minister Sitar. The Central Government of China has held some rounds of talks with the representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama, and the 14th Dalai Lama side has made some promises. In your opinion, will they keep their promises? 

Press conference on central govt's contacts with Dalai Lama (Text)

Sitar, Vice-Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee at the press conference. [Photo/Tibet.cn]

Sitar: In November 2008, when Vice-Minister Du Qinglin met with the private representative of the 14th Dalai Lama, he made it very clear: We stick to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, stick to the system of socialism, stick to that the regional autonomy system, which is stipulated by China's Constitution. This is the political fact in Tibet. Any attempt aiming to deny those "three sticks" will be totally unacceptable. The 14th Dalai Lama side once said that they would accept these "three sticks", but we found that their deeds did not match their words.

Sitar: Here are simple examples. The 14th Dalai Lama said on May 5 last year in New York: The CPC has been in power for 60 years, and it is time for it to retire. On August 2, when the 14th Dalai Lama received an interview by a foreign journalist, he again said: The CPC has been in rule for 60 years and this is the year one needs to retire. So, can you call that he is respecting the CPC leadership when he made such remarks? Another example is that, in March last year, when people of various ethnic groups in Tibet were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the emancipation of the 1 million serfs and slaves, the 14th Dalai Lama side organized people to attack more than 30 Chinese diplomatic missions in foreign countries. Moreover, October 1 last year marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, which was a grand occasion for all Chinese people, but the 14th Dalai Lama side instructed some Tibet secessionists to launch protests, attack and make trouble in front of our Chinese embassies and consulates in foreign countries. In 2009 alone, the Dalai clique amassed some 10,000 people to make troubles at more than 40 Chinese embassies and consulates in foreign countries.

After the July 9 riots in Urumqi of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the 14th Dalai Lama issued a statement on July 9 saying that he "is really sad by what happened in East Turkistan." Everyone knows "East Turkistan" has never existed in history. It is something actually produced by the separatists. So by using such a title, the 14th Dalai Lama has his own intention which is obvious to all.

On September 11, the 14th Dalai Lama and Rebiya Kadeer attended a so-called international seminar in the Czech Republic, and had a private meeting with the Uygur separatist leader. After that, the 14th Dalai Lama held a news conference during which he expressed his support for Rebiya Kadeer. From these we see although the 14th Dalai Lama said he respects the "three sticks", what he in fact shows that he has never stopped working to overthrow the people's democratic government under the leadership of the CPC, split socialist China, and deny the regional autonomy system.

We have also noticed that in their separatist activities, the Dalai clique claims themselves to be "representative of the Tibetan people" and work under the cloak of working for the "genuine autonomy of Tibet". During the talks with the private representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama, Nyima Tsering, Vice-Chairman of the People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region, I made it very clear to them that they are not representing the interests of the Tibetan people, but the benefits of the former serf-owners in old Tibet who had long been overthrown by the Tibetans, and what they seek is not the genuine autonomy for all Tibetan people, but to restore the dictatorship featuring temporal and religious administration in old Tibet, and to deprive the Tibetans of their hard-earned democratic right.

I notice there are many foreign reporters present on the occasion. We expect you will pass what Nyima Tsering and I have said just now to others, so that more people can know our view.

Zhu Weiqun: Sitar has made a good speech and I would like to add a few words. In the past year since the talks we had in November 2008, the 14th Dalai Lama has repeated several ideas over and over again. One is "the Communist Party should retire", and the other is "the Chinese government and the Chinese military planned the March 14 riots in Lhasa in 2008 but accused the Tibetan government-in-exile of doing this". The third idea he loves very much is that the region to the south of "McMahon Line", which we call southern Tibet, is the "territory of India." He also calls himself "a son of India". I have just mentioned a few, and I have bunch of them. Do you think these words can reflect he respects the CPC, and respects the PRC? How can he improve the relationship with Central Government when he is saying these words? Therefore, for the 14th Dalai Lama, he has to change his bad behavior characteristic of saying this but doing things differently.

The examples Sitar and I have cited are all taken from the media run by the 14th Dalai Clique and Western media who sympathize with him; none of these come from the Chinese media.