China says Dalai Lama's speech divisive
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China on Thursday rejected the Dalai Lama's latest speech, saying it exposed his intent of splitting the country and sabotaging ethnic unity.
"Didn't his sympathy with the 'East Turkestan' expose and prove his intent of splitting the country and sabotaging ethnic unity? " Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular briefing on Thursday.
Qin's comments came after the Dalai Lama criticized China's Tibet policy and referred to Xinjiang as "East Turkestan" in his speech on Wednesday.
"The speech is nothing new, but a repetition of his comments year after year," Qin said.
"The Dalai Lama distorted the true situation in Tibet and attacked the central government's policies in the region in a bid to trumpet his separatist claims of independence or semi-independence," Qin said.
Qin urged the Dalai Lama to stop separatist claims and activities so as to create conditions for contacts and talks with the central government.
Qin also blasted some Tibetan separatists' recent attempts to break into Chinese embassies in India and other countries, saying those acts exposed the group's divisive and violent nature.
"No country in the world recognizes the 'Tibetan government-in-exile,' nor does any country recognize 'Tibetan independence'," Qin said.
Qin said China appreciated some countries' decision to oppose any Tibetan separatists' acts in their territories.
