The Dalai Lama on Jiang, Clinton and Tibet "The Important Thing Is Trust"

TIME (Magazine, 6 July 1998)

The Dalai Lama was touring the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh in India when the future of Tibet came up for discussion at the Clinton-Jiang press conference. Shortly before addressing thousands of devotees who had collected at a village close to the Tibet border last week, the exiled leader met Time correspondent Maseeh Rahman and gave his reaction to the Beijing summit.

TIME: President Clinton commended you as "an honest man" to President Jiang Zemin last week. Did the Clinton visit help make any progress on Tibet?

Dalai Lama: In the long run, his comments will certainly have a very good impact on the minds of many Chinese. But it's too early to assess the immediate impact. What's clear is that President Clinton made a great effort to put across his views.

TIME: Do you think he was over-cautious? He did not take along his special coordinator on Tibet for fear of annoying the Chinese.

Dalai Lama: That's a matter of diplomatic procedure. Much more important is that there were talks, face-to-face, on Tibet. I was also impressed that President Clinton made his comments live on Chinese television. This goes to the credit of Jiang Zemin--the Chinese government could have stopped it easily. It shows there's a desire for greater openness. This may not have a direct bearing on Tibet. But the problem in Tibet is the result of the Chinese presence there--it's not like in Cambodia, where there's a civil war. Therefore, Tibet's future is linked to developments on the mainland. With more democracy and freedom of the press in China, we will find it easier to reach a mutually acceptable solution. What's clear is that China is changing. President Clinton's visit has certainly contributed to this process of change.

TIME: Clinton said that if you and Jiang were to meet, you would like each other.

Dalai Lama: [Laughs] Whenever I meet someone, I'm happy. I've met many Chinese leaders, including Chairman Mao, in the early '50s, and our meetings were always pleasant. And also very useful. It was only in the late '50s that the attitude of local Chinese authorities [in Tibet] became negative and aggressive.

TIME: Jiang has introduced a new condition before he meets you--he wants you to recognize Taiwan as a province of China.

Dalai Lama: When I was in Taiwan a year ago, I stated clearly that I'm not seeking independence but genuine autonomy for Tibet. I also said with reference to the demand for Taiwan's independence that in the modern world the concept of complete independence does not have much relevance. Both for its economy and defense, Taiwan needs to have very close links with mainland China. But what's important is that they should protect their liberty and democracy.

TIME: Beijing is obviously unhappy that you opened a representative office in Taipei last year.

Dalai Lama: The Chinese did indicate their displeasure to us. Though I have another invitation to visit Taiwan, I've postponed it indefinitely, as I give a lot of importance to developing an understanding with Beijing.

TIME: Jiang also said he expects a "positive" change in your attitude. What is he trying to say?

Dalai Lama: It won't be right or useful to comment directly on these remarks. We already have some contact through private channels, and that exchange is more helpful.

TIME: You've clarified repeatedly that you only want autonomy for Tibet, but the Chinese are still suspicious of your motives. What more can you do to allay their fears?

Dalai Lama: More contact and talk, without any publicity. And eventually, if the possibility arises, I would like to undertake a purely spiritual pilgrimage to some of the holy places on mainland China. And while I'm there, the opportunity may arise for me to meet the press and intellectuals, and possibly some Chinese leaders. The important thing is to build up trust. And that's happening.

TIME: Some analysts believe Beijing is not sincere about a solution and is waiting for the Dalai Lama to pass away before it fully assimilates Tibet into China.

Dalai Lama: There's also the other opinion, that the chance of finding a solution is there as long as the Dalai Lama is there. The resentment in Tibet against the Chinese is very strong. Just now there is someone who can influence or represent the Tibetan people. Once he's not there, the problem could become radical. Then how to deal with it? The Tibetan issue is not the Dalai Lama's issue. The Tibetan issue is 6 million people's issue. So long as the Tibetans are there, so long as the resentment is there, this problem will remain.