Senior official says religious freedom for all ethnic groups is protected Fewer officials from governments or organizations in foreign countries have met with the 14th Dalai Lama in recent years, and organizing such meetings deviates under all circumstances from commitment to the Chinese government being the sole legitimate government of China, a senior official said on Saturday. The 14th Dalai Lama is not only a religious figure, but also a political figure. After fleeing China in 1959, he established a so-called government-in-exile, whose goal and core agenda is the independence of Tibet and to separate China, said Zhang Yijiong, executive deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. For decades, the group headed by the 14th Dalai Lama has not stopped such attempts, he said. "The fact is there is not a single legitimate government in the world that recognizes the so-called Tibet government-in-exile. Although the Dalai Lama has been received by certain officials, the governments that those officials work for actually don't recognize his group," Zhang added. He made the remarks at a news conference in Beijing at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Zhang said China is strongly opposed to any foreign government or organization receiving the Dalai Lama under any circumstances. Such behavior strongly hurts the feelings of the Chinese people and shows disrespect for China's sovereignty, he said. "I hope the governments of foreign countries can speak and act cautiously (on this matter). They need to take the friendship with China and the respect for China's sovereignty into consideration," he said. Zhang said there is not a country that would not protest about a foreign government receiving an individual who goes around the world with the intention of separating their home country. "So it is inevitable for China to state strong opposition when the 14th Dalai Lama visits foreign countries and is even received by some senior officials," Zhang said. Noting that fewer government officials have met with the Dalai Lama in recent years, he added, "Now he often can only make speeches at universities or conduct some religious activities." Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are the titles of top religious leaders in Tibetan Buddhism, which was born on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in ancient China. Under the influence of Buddhism from neighboring countries, its unique doctrines were formed locally. Tibetan Buddhism has been a religion with Chinese characters from the beginning, Zhang said. He said it is the responsibility of the government, religious organizations and religious leaders to ensure that religions in China fit with the current society and adapt to the country's social development. "We hope Tibetan Buddhism can further absorb the nutrition from Chinese culture, which will contribute to the religion's own healthy development," Zhang said. Zhang said China protects the religious freedoms of all 56 ethnic groups and respects their different customs. The government encourages people from different ethnic groups to respect and understand each other, he added. custom wrist sweatbandscustomise fidget spinnerjordan wristband rubbermake your own rubber band braceletsrubber wristbands custom cheapprintable wristbands
United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit China from June 26 to June 28. [Photo/IC] United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis' first visit to China will help ease tension, promote mutual trust and facilitate healthy interactions and relations between the two militaries, experts said. Chinese military officials will also take this chance to directly communicate China's stance of resolutely safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and other core interests to the top US defense official, they added. Mattis will visit China from Tuesday to Thursday. He will meet with State and military leaders to discuss issues of common concern, Ren Guoqiang, a spokesman for Ministry of National Defense, said on Monday. It will be the first visit to China of a US defense secretary since Chuck Hagel in April 2014. Mattis will also visit the Republic of Korea and Japan after his trip to China. Developing healthy and stable Sino-US military-to-military relations is in accordance with the mutual interest of both countries and the common aspirations of the international community, Ren said. China values developing military relations with the US, and hopes the US works with China to turn the military relationship into a stabilizing factor for the countries' overall relations, he added. While Mattis' trip to China was part of the bilateral consensus reached last year, his visit comes amid recently heightened security tensions between the two over the South China Sea and Taiwan. On May 23, the Pentagon disinvited China from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific naval exercise as part of its criticism of China's military buildup in the South China Sea. The US is also helping Taiwan bolster its defense capabilities. One week ago, the US Senate passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, calling for joint military drills with the island, despite Beijing's strong opposition to any country having military interactions with Taiwan. Mattis, however, has shown an interest in less contentious dialogue with China before traveling to Asia, insisting to reporters that he will not poison the well before going into the talks and will focus on larger, more strategic security issues, The Associated Press reported on Sunday. Colonel Liu Lin, an associate researcher of foreign militaries at the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science, said while some degree of competition is inevitable between China and the US, there is more room for cooperation than confrontation. Having high ranking military officials directly interact with each other will help increase strategic communication and build mutual trust, facilitating a healthy military relationship between the two countries, she said. Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, director of the Center for Security Cooperation under the Central Military Commission Office of International Military Cooperation, said the South China Sea, Taiwan and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be among the key topics discussed during Mattis' visit to China, as well as bilateral military cooperation. Although not all differences could be managed overnight, the gesture of his coming to China is already a positive sign for Sino-US military relations, he said.
