ATLANTA, Sept 6 (Reuter) - The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday he admired the tenacity of women in Beijing attending the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women, which he predicted will produce long-term results.

The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, standing in front of the marble crypt of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at the King Centre for Non-Violent Social Change, said it was important for China to host an event that is "a little bit controversial."

"I really admire some of those ladies, their courageous determination," he said. The U.N.-sponsored conference "may not impact immediately, but long-run, definitely."

In a statement, he urged the United States to "forcefully" promote democracy in China by backing responsible business ventures and using economic leverage to bring about positive change.

"The world community has the responsibility to bring China into the mainstream of world democracy."