China's tough Tibet talk casts chill on meeting

BEIJING - The Dalai Lama and his envoys are to blame for the lack of progress during recent talks, a Chinese official said yesterday, in hard-line remarks likely to cast a shadow over a meeting next week of Tibetan exiles in India.

Zhu Weiqun, a vice minister of the United Front Work Department, said that the question of sovereignty was "the most fundamental issue" and that the Dalai Lama's calls for greater autonomy for Tibet masked his desire for the Himalayan region's independence.

"They still use this trick to talk in a roundabout way with the central authorities, which shows that they lack sincerity," Zhu, whose central government department is in charge of the meetings, told reporters. "We will never make a concession."

He added: "Our contacts and talks failed to make progress, and they should assume full responsibility for it."

Zhu also dismissed a memo on autonomy presented by the Dalai Lama's envoys, saying it was an attempt to undermine Beijing's authority in the region.

It was the first time Chinese officials have openly discussed details of direct talks between the Tibetan spiritual leader's emissaries and China since they began in 2002. Zhu's remarks do not bode well for the possibility of a new round.

"This public airing of their opinions, and the very strong accusations that were made, means that China has in effect brought the talks process to an end," said Robbie Barnett, an expert in modern Tibet at Columbia University.

"The Chinese delegates say that technically the door to talks remains open, but their statements about the delegates' presentation are so absolute and pejorative that it is unlikely that further talks are possible," Barnett said in an e-mail.

China's tough stance likely will have an effect on the special meeting, set for next Monday through Nov. 22, called by the Dalai Lama, where Tibetan exile communities and political organizations in Dharmsala, India, will focus on determining how they will deal with Beijing.