The Tibet Post

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang told a media "China has expressed its' position clearly to the Indian side over Tibet issue", when asked about the meeting between Rao and Dalai Lama on July the 10th held in Dharamsala, a northern hill-town where Tibetan government in exile administered for the last 50 years. Mr. Gang further added, "The Indian government has expressed on many occasions to China that it recognizes Tibet Autonomous Region as part of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and would not allow exiled Tibetans in India to conduct anti-China political activities. So we hope India could abide by its commitments on Tibet-related issues and properly handle all the issues,"

Ms Rao's meeting, which came close on the heels with the national security adviser Shivshankar Menon's visit to China, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy from July 3 to 6 during which he held talks with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and foreign minister Yang Jiechi, sparked off speculation that China may have sent a message for His Holinesss the Dalai Lama, just after days the celebration of his 75th birthday. The Tibetans in-exile has also expressed contentment over India's Foreign Secretary Rao's talk with His Holiness and other top Tibetan officials last week.

On July the 12th, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, the Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile, told ANI that the meeting was held behind closed doors, and was a routine. "This is nothing special; it's a regular annual visit. She couldn't come last year in 2009, because of various (reasons). His Holiness was usually abroad, so this time she made the visit," the Tibetan prime minister added.

However, under one country and two systems, China has granted autonomy to Hong Kong and Macau though the two regions are part of the mainland. But, they are averse towards the whole part of Tibet who holds the same status. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has been approaching with his Middle-Way concept of "A Meaningful Autonomy for Tibet" incorporating the eastern parts of Tibet, like the Tibetan traditional province Kham and Amdho which China has divided to its' Qinghai, Gangzu, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.