Hong Kong Standard China, July 19, 1996

A CHINESE government spokesman predicted yesterday Sino-British co-operation on Hong Kong would be damaged by the Dalai Lama's visit to London.

Asked how the visit would affect co-operation, foreign ministry spokesman Cui Tiankai said: "The actions by the British side will adversely affect Sino-British relations, and as time passes my remarks will be proved."

Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, the Dalai Lama, met British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind in London Wednesday after addressing the parliamentary inter-party group on Tibet at the House of Commons a day earlier.

"The Dalai Lama is a political exile who has long engaged in activities aimed at separating the motherland and undermining ethnic solidarity," Mr Cui said. "We hope the British side will honour its commitment that Tibet is a part of China and we hope the British side will not support activities of the Dalai clique aimed a separating the motherland in any form."

Sino-British relations have been significantly strained for the last two years over the 1 July handover, but they had been on the mend in recent months with both sides agreeing to co-operate on outstanding issues for the benefit of the territory.

During his meeting with the Dalai Lama, Mr Rifkind also urged China to start talks with the exiled leader without preconditions which further infuriated Mr Cui. "Tibetan issues are China's internal affairs, which brook no interference from any foreign government organisation or individual."

Mr Cui said the Dalai Lama was insincere when he said he did not want independence for his Himalayan homeland, but that Beijing's door to talks remained open. "His so-called willingness to open talks without any precondition is just a kind of demagogic cover.

"From the words and deeds of the Dalai Lama, we can see on the one hand he says he does not require or ask for the independence of Tibet, and on the other he advocates everywhere Tibet is an independent state occupied by China. This indicates he simply does not have sincerity for negotiations or talks."

China invaded Tibet in 1951. The Dalai Lama fled to India eight years later after an abortive uprising.