11 June 2008
US-EU joint statement on Tibet
(Guardian; VOA; Xinhua)The United States and the European Union have called on China to hold talks again soon with the Dalai Lama's representatives. US and EU leaders issued a joint statement after meeting in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. Their statement expressed concern about recent unrest in Tibet and urged all sides to refrain from further violence. The statement said: "We encourage both parties to move forward with a substantive, constructive and results-oriented dialogue at an early date". The statement also asked the Chinese government to address "its poor human rights record" and allow its citizens to enjoy "internationally recognised human rights". Beijing rejected the calls to hold talks with the Dalai Lama and accused the US and EU of double standards on human rights. "The Chinese side opposes the joint declaration of the EU-US summit on the issue of Tibet", foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement on the ministry's website.