Du Qinglin, head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with private representatives of the
14th Dalai Lama in Beijing recently, the department said yesterday.
Du, also the vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told the two representatives, Lodi
Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, the central government's policy towards the Dalai
Lama is consistent and explicit. The door for dialogue is always open.
The Dalai Lama should openly and explicitly promise and prove it in his
actions not to support activities to disturb the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games,
not to support plots to fan violent criminal activities, not to support and
concretely curb the violent terrorist activities of the "Tibetan Youth Congress"
and not to support any argument and activity to seek "Tibet independence" and
split the region from the country, he said.
While the country is welcoming the 30th anniversary of its reform and opening
up, Tibet, together with the rest of the country, has progressed to realize
economic development and improve people's living standards while protecting the
environment and effectively using resources, he said.
In Tibet, the adherence to the CPC leadership, the socialist system and the
regional autonomy of ethnic minorities will not be altered, he said.
The central government will apply its policies in Tibet, support the region's
economic and social development and work to improve living standards of people
in Tibet as it did before.
Du also briefed them about the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12 and the relief
work.
He said at time of difficulty, the Chinese nation has shown strong
cohesiveness and profound love among its people. The relief work serves as vivid
illustrations of China's protection of human rights.
The CPC implemented its principle of putting people first and ruling the
country for the people, while the advantages of socialist system are also
manifested in the quake relief, as indicated in the policy of saving lives
first, nationwide mobilization for quake relief and timely and smooth flow of
information, he said.
Zhu Weiqun and Sitar, two deputy heads of the department, also met with the
Dalai Lama's representatives and exchanged ideas on detailed issues.
If the Dalai Lama makes positive moves, the next round of contact may be held
before the end of this year, according to the officials of the department.
The Dalai Lama's representatives also expressed their ideas on several
relevant issues and said they would report the results to the Dalai Lama.
During their stay in Beijing, the two toured the Olympic stadiums and talked
with some Tibetologists.