BEIJING, Oct 24 (Reuter) - China lodged a strong protest with the European Union (EU) on Thursday over officials of the European Parliament meeting Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

"We have expressed our intense dissatisfaction and serious protest to the European side," Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofang told a news briefing.

"The action of the European Union is open support and connivance with the splittist activities of the Dalai Lama," Shen said.

During a three-day visit to Strasbourg, France, the Dalai Lama met European Parliament officials on Wednesday and proposed autonomy for his homeland. The Dalai Lama's comments to EU officials were restrained, dismissing any notion of economic sanctions against China over its rule in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule and won the Nobel Peace Prize 30 years later for his peaceful autonomy campaign. China has denied accusations of widespread human rights abuses since its troops marched into the Himalayan region.

A meeting between the exiled Tibetan monk and Australian Prime Minister John Howard last month infuriated Beijing and prompted a demand from China that Australia rectify its mistake or face possible trade retaliation.