"This is a negative effort made by the Dalai Lama in an attempt to deceive the international public opinion," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Jiang Yu told reporters when asked to comment on anti-Hu rallies in India.
"Our position has been clear on this issue. Tibet has been a part of Chinese territory," she said. Jiang noted that India has made an assurance to China that it will not allow Tibetans living in the country to engage in anti-China political activities from Indian territory.
"We attach importance and appreciate this statement by India and we also hope that India will honour its commitments on this issue," she said. The spokeswoman also went on to rebut the Dalai Lama's allegation on religious persecution in Tibet.
"On the question of religion, China has also a clear position. Tibet is an internal affair of China and Chinese government attaches importance to the religious beliefs of Chinese citizens according to law," she said.
"The Chinese government also protects the normal religious beliefs and activities according to law. But we do not allow anyone to engage in illegal activities in the pretext of religious belief," Jiang said.
The Dalai Lama fled to India from Tibet after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. China often describes the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner as a "separatist" who is engaged in splitting Tibet from rest of the motherland.
However, the Dalai Lama says he has given up his original demand for his Himalayan homeland's independence and instead talks of "genuine autonomy" to preserve Tibet's unique culture language and environment.
China has repeatedly stated that the condition for holding talks with the Dalai Lama is that he should genuinely renounce the stand of Tibetan independence, stop separatist activities, openly declare and acknowledge that Tibet is an inseparable part of China, and that the People's Republic of China government is the sole legal government representing whole of China.
