Chinese state media announces talks with Dalai Lama represenatives

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
China will hold a new round of talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama next month and hopes for a "positive response" from the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, state media said. Officials from the central government will attend the meetings, which will take place in early July, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday. It did not give a specific date or venue for the talks. "Our door is always open for dialogue with the Dalai Lama. (We) hope that the Dalai Lama would treasure this opportunity and give a positive response to the requirements of the central authorities," an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by Xinhua in a two-sentence statement. Thupten Samphal, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in Dharmsala, India, confirmed that the next round of talks will be held "soon." He did not have any other details but said that government-in-exile officials will meet Monday to discuss logistics. China has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in quelling anti-government riots and protests that began in March in Tibet. Some experts believe Beijing is agreeing to a fresh round of discussions to ease international pressure and criticism ahead of the Olympic Games that begin Aug. 8 in China .