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China protests U.S. award for Dalai Lama

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Tuesday voiced his government’s strong discontent of, and firm opposition to, the United States’ hospitality to the Dalai Lama, including the granting of a Congressional award and a planned meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush.

Mr. Yang, a delegate to the ongoing 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, made the statement during a group discussion on President Hu Jintao’s report delivered to the Congress on Monday.

“Tibet is part of the Chinese territory, a fact that has been widely recognised by the international community, the U.S. government included,” he said at the open discussion. The planned U.S. Congressional award to the Dalai Lama on Wednesday and Mr. Bush’s meeting with him constitute severe violation of the norms of international relations, seriously hurting the feelings of the Chinese people and are a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, Mr. Yang said.

The Chinese government has urged the U.S. government on several occasions to cancel such “extremely erroneous” arrangements, he said.

Earlier, the White House said that Mr. Bush would go ahead with a meeting with the Dalai Lama but understood Chinese concerns.

“It’s a private meeting at the [White House] residence,” Mr. Bush’s spokesman Tony Fratto said. He added, “We understand the concerns of the Chinese” but denied that Washington was interfering with China’s affairs. Mr. Fratto said the President would also take part in a Capitol Hill ceremony on Wednesday when the Dalai Lama is to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. legislature. — Agencies

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