Beijing [China], August 14: China says it will cut off all contact with Czech President Petr Pavel after he met privately with the Dalai Lama, a move that escalates diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
China said it had "sent a solemn protest to the Czech Republic " after Petr Pavel visited India to celebrate the Dalai Lama 's 90th birthday on July 27, according to Euro News on August 13.
"This meeting seriously violated the Czech government's political commitment to the Chinese government and harmed China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement on August 12.
"China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes this, and has sent a solemn protest note to the Czech side. In response to Pavel's serious provocation, China has decided to terminate all relations with him," the statement said.
The Czech President's office later confirmed that Mr. Pavel's meeting with the Dalai Lama took place in a private capacity, not as an official event, CTK news agency reported.
"Upon returning from a working visit to Japan, the president took the opportunity to separate from the delegation to personally congratulate the Dalai Lama," Filip Platos, spokesman for President Pavel, told CTK last month.
In August 2024, the Chinese Foreign Ministry continued to reaffirm its stance, opposing any country welcoming the Dalai Lama "in any form and for any reason".
Spokesman Mao Ning stressed: "The 14th Dalai Lama is not just a religious figure. He is also a political exile involved in separatist activities. China firmly opposes any meeting between him and foreign officials at any level."
The Dalai Lama's legacy has always been a controversial one. The Chinese government says reincarnations of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the Dalai Lama, must comply with Chinese law and be approved by the central government.
Meanwhile, in July, senior Indian minister Kiren Rijiju stated that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he founded have the authority to decide his successor as Tibet's spiritual leader.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
