The Chinese government has issued a white paper on Tibet, saying the 'middle-way policy' advocated by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is an attempt to divide China.
Reiterating the Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) stand towards Tibet, it said: "It's seeking genuine autonomy within the framework of Chinese constitution."
"In recent years, having seen the failure of their attempts to instigate violence in support of their cause, they have turned to preaching a 'middle way'," the Chinese government said on Wednesday.
It said the "middle way" attempts to create a "state within a state" in Chinese territory, to be ruled by the Dalai Lama and his supporters, as an interim step towards the ultimate goal of full independence.
The document, "Tibet's path of development is driven by an irresistible historical tide", said: "Tibet has been a part of China's territory since ancient times, and the Tibetans have been one communal member of the Chinese nation."
Xinhua reported that Tibet first began to embrace modern civilisation only after the People's Republic was founded in 1949.
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Countering the allegations, the CTA said the actions of the 137 Tibetans who have self-immolated so far clearly reflect the deepening anguish and resentment of the Tibetan people at the conditions in their homeland.
Unlike China's 12 other white papers on Tibet, it said, the latest white paper seems to be a belated reaction on the part of Beijing to the renewed, ongoing campaign on the 'middle-way policy' launched last year by the CTA to create greater awareness of this policy within the international community.
"The Chinese government's attempt to portray the 'middle-way policy' as an attempt by Tibetans to strike out for independence is deliberately misleading. On the contrary, the 'middle-way policy' seeks genuine autonomy within the framework of the constitution of the People's Republic of China which is a win-win proposition for all parties," it added.
The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based in this north Indian hill town.