By Mark Lever, AAP Diplomatic Correspondent

CANBERRA, Sept 12 AAP - Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer will personally greet Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, when he arrives in Australia, in a blunt rebuff of China's concerns over the visit.

Mr Downer will hold a private meeting with the Dalai Lama at Melbourne airport on Saturday evening.

The high-level greeting for the exiled leader is certain to provoke renewed protests from China, which is taking increasingly strident objerrime Minister John Howard is also expected to meet the Dalai Lama in Sydn after his return from overseas on September 21, although no appointment has been made.

After similar talks with New Zealand leaders yesterday, the Chinese Embassy in Wellington said: "We deeply regret the New Zealand government ignored Chinese government representatirovided him with a platform for indulging in political propaganda".

Beijing cancelled four planned ministerial visits in June by Germany after its parliament passed a resolution accusing China of human rights abuses in Tibet and referring explicitly to the "Tibetan government in exile".

Mr Downer and Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer went to some lengths to placate China on the issue in recent visits to Beijing when the Chinese pointedly reminded them of the action against Germany.

Mr Downer said Australia was welcoming the Dalai Lama as a religious figure rather than political leader and reaffirmed Australia's recognition of Chinese rule in Tibet.

Mr Fischer angered Tibet's supporters by highlighting advances in basic services since China annexed Tibet in 1959.

Significantly, Mr Fischer is not on the Dalai Lama's itinerary on a two day visit to Canberra next week when Mr Fischer will be acting prime minister.

The Dalai Lama will stay in Sydney until September 29, primarily to host a Festival of Tibet at the Hordern Pavilion which will bring together tens of thousands of Buddhists from all over Australia.

A highlight will be the construction of a sand mandala, an intricate work of art in sand by Buddhist monks to be ceremonially swept up by the Dalai Lama and sprinkled on Sydney Harbour.

There are also substantial gaps in the program to ensure time for a meeting with Mr Howard.