No Way, Norway

(Far Eastern Economic Review,16 July 1998)

Norway has offered to assist in talks between Beijing and the leader of the Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama, according to diplomatic sources. However, Beijing isn't interested in out-side mediation. "This is an issue they want to handle themselves," said the Norwegian ambassador to China, Sverre Bergh Johansen, who neither confirmed nor denied that the offer had been made. Beijing recenfly revealed that it has conducted informal talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama over the past 18 months. During his joint news conference with the visiting U.S. president last month, party chief Jiang Zernin said Beijing would negotiate as soon as the Dalai Lama concedes that Tibet is part of China and that Taiwan is a province. The Dalai Lama responded by cancelling a trip to Taiwan.