Dalai Lama issue: Australia risks China relations

Melbourne, June 17: Australia is increasingly risking the ire of its largest trading partner China as Prime Minister John Howard has finally met the Dalai Lama.

The Prime Minister of the South Pacific nation has also given an indication that Australia would participate in a four-nation negotiations. Global politics observers see the proposed negotiations among the US, Japan, India and Australia as 'encirclement' of rising superpower China.

However, Mr Howard has allayed Chinese concerns over the above-mentioned diplomatic developments.

''Once again, close though we are to China, we do run our own foreign policy and there are some commonalities and some similarities between Australia and Japan and the US and India that don't exist with China,'' the Prime Minister said in a statement yesterday.

While Beijing has yet to react to Australian keenness to join the group of four, opposition to the Dalai Lama visit to Australia has already been made clear.

The Australian Prime Minister and the opposition leader Kevin Rudd were initially fearing the Chinese wrath, reluctant to meet the Dalai Lama, who has been in exile in India since 1959.

The Australian politicians' hesitance to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader was being criticised by the media commentators.

The Prime Minister agreed to meet the Dalai Lama on the last day of his 11-day Australian tour.

The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet met John Howard for half hour in an exclusive meeting and is believed to have asked for the Australian support for the Tibetan cause.

''Of course, I expressed my felicitations on behalf of about 500 Tibetans who are in this country,'' the Dala Lama told The Australian in an interview after the meeting.

''Then I requested more Tibetans come here, (which) may be helpful to keep the preservation of their own culture, their own speciality,'' the Dalai Lama said.

''Of course, there was some explanation about the latest in my dialogue with the Chinese Government,'' he added.

The Australian Prime Minister has brushed off speculation that the Dalai Lama meeting would anger the Chinese.

''As Prime Minister, I take the view I will decide who I will meet,'' Mr Howard is quoted by The Australian as saying.

''I listen to what other countries say but he is a figure in my view that I should meet. It doesn't alter our foreign policy; it doesn't alter our relationship with China. We have made it clear that we will decide who we see and I am sure the Chinese will understand that,'' he added.

UNI