Solution to India-China issues lies in talks, not military, says Dalai Lama

New Delhi, July 15: India and China must solve the border dispute through talks and peaceful means, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said.

His comments come ahead of 16th round of Corps Commander-level meetings between India and China, expected to start on July 17.

The 14th Dalai Lama today arrived at Ladakh after a stopover in Jammu where he had arrived on Thursday from his base in Dharamshala. "India and China are both competitive nations and neighbours, sooner or later you have to solve this problem through talks and peaceful means. The use of military force is outdated," ANI quoted him as saying.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to stay in the Union Territory for about a month. This is not the first time that the Dalai Lama is visiting a border region as he had visited Ladakh as well as Arunachal Pradesh several times in the past, a government functionary informed PTI.

"The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and his visit to Ladakh is completely religious. Why should anyone have objections to the tour," the government functionary said. The spiritual leader's visit to Ladakh is expected to rile China as it comes amid the military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at several friction points in eastern Ladakh.

Earlier in Jammu, the 87-year-old spiritual leader said that the majority of people in China realize that he is not seeking independence within China but meaningful autonomy and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture.

"Some Chinese hardliners consider me a separatist and a reactionary and always criticise me. But now, more Chinese are realising that the Dalai Lama is not seeking independence and only wishing China (to give) meaningful autonomy (to Tibet) and (ensure) preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture," the spiritual leader said.

The Dalai Lama has been living in India ever since he fled Tibet in 1959. The Tibetan government-in-exile operates from India and over 1,60,000 Tibetans live in the country.