A former Chinese Foreign Minister today dismissed suggestions of China holding talks with the Dalai Lama to resolve the long-pending Tibet issue, accusing the spiritual leader of trying to split his homeland.
"Your friend Dalai Lama is not head of a country. He is only a political monk trying to divide his own motherland," Li Zhaoxing, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-2007, told a questioner at the Raisina Dialogue.
Li was asked why China was reluctant to talk to the Dalai Lama to resolve the Tibet issue.
Rebuffing the questioner, he further said Tibet had become part of China many centuries ago, adding "you should understand that for a country sovereignty is above everything."
Talks between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Chinese officials, stalled since 2010, have not resumed even after the Nobel laureate said he regarded Tibet as part of China.
Asked at an interactive session why does China block India's attempts at the UN to ban Pakistani terrorists, Li did not give a direct reply but quoted the charter of the world body to say that everyone should work for peace and justice.
"As per Buddhism, one has to be kind to the neighbours and to friends...We hope you (India) will become a good friend of Pakistan and Pakistan will become mutual friend of both China and India," Li said.
Earlier in his address, the former Chinese Foreign Minister said China welcomes participation of all countries in its Silk Route project and quoted the six-decades-old slogan of 'Hindi Chini, Bhai Bhai'.
"As two great developing countries, India and China have the responsibility to promote growth and development of the region," he said, adding regional integration in South Asia has been much slower compared to other regions of the world.
Calling India a "good friend" of China, he said his country wants its neighbours to benefit from its development.
