06 June 2006
Dalai Lama urges patience in dealing with China
(FT) The Dalai Lama has called on followers to be patient with his efforts to build relations with the Chinese government, saying that talks with Beijing are making progress. "I understand that when people see the very slow results [of our discussions], they are a bit discouraged", he said in an interview with the Financial Times. "But that is wrong. If you look very closely, in fact there are some results gradually coming. So you need more patience and determination - results will definitely come". The Dalai Lama’s comments underscore his determination to pursue a conciliatory approach towards Beijing, despite what he described as the ambivalent and contradictory messages by China. The Tibetan leader said he had received "mixed signals" rather than a "clear response" to a pilgrimage request he made in March, but said it was "quite possible" that he would eventually be able to visit China. The Dalai Lama praised the EU, the US and other western countries for backing the Tibetan cause. Discussing the level of support from different countries, the Dalai Lama said it was in many ways easier for the EU and smaller European countries such as Norway to help than for the US, because of the "psychological problem" for China to deal with "superpower America".