China Confirms The Ninth Round Of Talks With Tibetan Envoys

Chinese officials confirmed that envoys of Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with representatives of Chinese government Tuesday for the first time in 15 months. "We hope that the Dalai Lama will cherish the opportunity and respond positively to the requests of the central government," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told journalists in Beijing.

Ma told a press briefing that at the request of the Dalai Lama side’s, the Chinese Central Government had recently made arrangements for private representatives of the Dalai Lama to visit China to renew dialogue.

“At the request of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Government has arranged for his representatives to come to China for consultation,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.

The central government’s policy towards the Dalai Lama is consistent and clear, Ma told reporters, without disclosing the venue or other details of the talks.

In November 2008, negotiations between representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Chinese government officials ended with China’s rejection of the Tibetans’ demand for “genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people”.

The upcoming meeting marks the ninth round of talks between the two sides since 2002.