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China envoy issues veiled warning

Michael Gonsalves in Pune

Chinese Ambassador to India Zhou Gang has issued a veiled warning to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government that the Karmapa Lama should not be allowed to carry out any political activities against the People's Republic of China.

"I hope the Tibetan leader will not do anything to politicise the issue against China, particularly at a time when both the countries have decided to improve relations," Gang said yesterday at Pune.

Gang categorically stated that the on-going controversy "should not be allowed to have any negative impact on Sino-India relations".

The ambassador also reiterated his country's demand for the personal security and safety of the 14-year-old Tibetan spiritual guru who escaped to India last week.

"Though China believed that the young boy has not matured legally or politically, we are worried about him because of the situation that existed in China and India after the Karmapa left his country," Gang told the media.

The Indian government has to inform China about the whereabouts of the Karmapa Lama as per the Panchsheel treaty signed between the two countries, he added.

The ambassador declined to comment on whether Lama Orgyen Thinley Dorji's stay in India was acceptable to China. He also was not forthcoming when asked for his reaction on Defence Minister George Fernandes' statement that allowing the Karmapa Lama to stay in India would not harm diplomatic relations with China.

Gang said, "The Karmapa had written a letter about his visit to India before leaving his monastery in Lhasa. He had said that he wanted to come to India to get musical instruments for religious mass. He said once he procured all these, he will return to the monastery. The Karmapa has stated in his letter that his going abroad does not mean betraying the country, nation, the monastery as well as the leadership."

The Chinese ambassador said both China and India were in the process of finalising the schedule for the joint observation of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral relations between the two countries with a dialogue on security matters.

"The forthcoming bilateral security dialogue will discuss mutual security concerns and other important issues," he said adding that China wanted to strengthen good relations with India.

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