China opposes European Parliament leaders' meeting with Dalai Lama

BEIJING -- China strongly objects to the recent meeting between European Parliament leaders and the Dalai Lama, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

It was reported that European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Elmar Brok, chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, met with the Dalai Lama on Sept. 15 despite strong opposition from the Chinese side.

"They have broken the promises the EU made to China on Tibet," spokesperson Lu Kang told a press conference.

Tibet issues are core interests of China, Lu said, stressing that the Chinese government is firmly against separatism.

China opposes the Dalai Lama's visits in any name or capacity to any country or organization to engage in separatist activities, Lu said. China is also opposed to any contact between the Dalai Lama and officials from any country or organization.

China-EU ties are at a new stage, and relations between the parliaments are sound, but the meeting between the European Parliament's leaders and the Dalai Lama harms China's core interests and the political foundation of inter-parliamentary communication, Lu said.

China demands that the EU side take measures to nullify the negative effects of the meeting, the spokesperson said.