Wednesday October 30 7:19 AM EST

BEIJING (Reuter) - China warned the European Union Wednesday that its ties with China could be harmed by a recent row over a visit by Tibet's exiled Dalai Lama, Beijing's rival for Tibetan loyalties.

"Mandarins in the European Parliament and European Commission readily play the part as the trumpet of the Dalai Lama," said a commentary in the China Daily newspaper.

"By supporting the Dalai Lama, the two important bodies have put themselves in opposition to China and the 1.2 billion Chinese people," the official newspaper said.

"We hope the two organizations will not go too far over the Tibetan issue at the expense of Sino-European relations," it said.

China last week slammed as "rude interference" in its internal affairs a meeting between the Dalai Lama and officials from the European Parliament during the exiled god-king's current European tour.

French Justice Minister Jacques Toubon Tuesday met the Tibetan monk despite a warning by China against such meetings.

China said Paris had told Beijing that French officials should not meet the Dalai Lama and warned of damage to Sino-French relations.

France said Toubon met the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed revolt against Chinese rule and who was on a two-day private visit to Paris, as a private individual rather than as a government representative.

Beijing accuses the globe-trotting Buddhist monk, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1989 for his peaceful campaign for more autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, of working to split Tibet from the rest of China.

"Righteous people throughout the world will sooner or later see through his evil intentions," the newspaper said.

Beijing threatened possible trade retaliation against Canberra after a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Australian Prime Minister John Howard last month.