US government says dialogue with Dalai Lama will benefit all of China
DHARAMSALA, Jan 8: The US State Department on Jan 7 said it believes all people in the People’s Republic of China would benefit from the fruits of dialogue and urged the Chinese government to seize the opportunity to further engage with the Dalai Lama.
US State Department Spokesperson, Jen Psaki made the comments yesterday at the end of a daily press briefing in Washington DC.
Responding to a question on ‘reports of exchange of emissaries between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government about possibility of talks between the two’, Ms Psaki said: “I’ve seen the reports. I don’t have any confirmation, but I can convey that we’ve long encouraged the Chinese Government to hold direct and substantive discussions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions aimed at resolving differences.”
“We believe that all people in the PRC would benefit from the fruits of dialogue and urge the Chinese Government to seize the opportunity to further engage with the Dalai Lama.”
The “reports” refer to the statements made at the end of a two-day Tibetan Task Force meeting on Sino-Tibet negotiation held in Dharamsala over Jan 5-6 on the political developments in China and on issues relating to the future of dialogue with the Chinese leadership.
“Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, who chaired the two-day meeting, reiterated the Tibetan leadership’s commitment for the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue through dialogue between envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Chinese leadership. The Tibetan leadership remains firmly committed to non-violence and the Middle Way Approach, and strongly believes that the only way to resolve the issue of Tibet is through dialogue,” read a press release dated Jan 6, 2015 on Tibet.net, the Central Tibetan Administration’s official website.
The latest meeting was the 27th Task Force meeting since its inception and 5th since Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan people took charge of the political affairs of the Tibetan people in 2011.
The Task Force on Sino-Tibetan negotiation was constituted in 199 to help recommend policy matters and strategies to find a peaceful and mutually acceptable negotiated resolution to the issue of Tibet.
Nine rounds of talks were held between the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and representatives of China’s United Front Work Department since 2002.
During the course of nine rounds of Sino-Tibetan talks, the Tibetan side has presented to the Chinese leadership a Memorandum and a Note seeking genuine autonomy for Tibet as enshrined in the Chinese constitution and Law on Regional National Autonomy.
The ninth and the last round of talks was held in 2010 and in 2012, the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama resigned from their positions citing overall deteriorating situation inside Tibet and “lack of willingness and sincerity” from the Chinese side.
