China miffed with Tibetan leader’s testimony before Canadian parliament
The recent testimony by the Tibetan government-in-exile’s President, Penpa Tsering at the Canadian House of Commons has drawn strong disapproval from the Chinese Embassy in Canada on Saturday.
The Chinese Embassy expressed strong disapproval and firm opposition to Canada’s move to allow the Tibetan “government-in-exile” leader Penpa Tsering to visit the country and to make arrangements for him to testify before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Global Times reported.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy has called the Tibetan government-in-exile a “separatist political organization” with the aim of achieving “Tibet independence”. The Spokesperson further accused the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) leader of being “a downright anti-China separatist whose purpose of visiting is to sell the idea of ‘Tibet independence’ and advance the internationalization of Tibet-related issues.”
“Regarding the so-called Tibet-China Dialogue, what I want to stress is that we do not recognize any Tibetan ‘government-in-exile,’ and the central government will never negotiate with such an illegal organization,” the spokesperson said in the statement, Choekyi Lham wrote in Phayul.
The continuation of opposition from the Chinese Communist Party government to every official meeting is not a new phenomenon. Tsering’s recent visit to Washington DC where he met with the Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky also sparked criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Prague.
The Chinese Embassy released a statement where it called the Czech leader’s association a “serious breach” in relations with the Beijing administration. It further added that the Czechs had sent “a consequentially wrong message” to the Tibetan separatist movement.
The statement also took the issue with the discussions regarding the whereabouts of the 11th Panchen Lama, for which the abbot of Tashi Lhunpo monastery Zeekgyab Rinpoche was present at the House of Commons.
“In order to carry out anti-China separatist activities, [Dalai Lama] dismantled religious rules and neglected the historical system and declared a child as ‘the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama’ while overseas without authorization, which is illegal and invalid,” the statement had also mentioned that the chosen reincarnation is just a “regular Chinese citizen who is living an average life,” the Spokesperson said.
However, the Spokesperson concluded the statement with a demand towards the Canadian government to immediately stop interfering in their internal matters and promised retaliation if Canada continues to take part in ‘anti-China’ activities.
“I have to reiterate that Xizang (Tibet) is an inalienable part of China and it is a fact recognized by many countries. Xizang’s affairs are purely China’s domestic affairs that allow for no interference from the outside. China requires Canada to immediately stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs over Xizang-related issues, while damaging the stability in Xizang, and to stop providing support and a platform for separatists on which to carry out their anti-China separatist activities, or China will be compelled to respond accordingly,” the spokesperson further stated.
Despite nine rounds of talks between the representatives of the Dalai Lama and representatives of Beijing since 2002, China has rejected the middle way approach, the official stance of the exile Tibetan government that seeks genuine autonomy under the framework of the Chinese constitution. (ANI)
