WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuter) - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, voiced regret on Wednesday that China's Deng Xiaoping died without resolving questions over Tibet.

"Deng Xiaoping had been involved in the Tibetan issue from the very beginning, all the way through right up to the end, so it seems he had the intention to resolve the Tibetan issue himself during this own lifetime," the Dalai Lama said in an interview with the Tibetan service of Voice of America radio.

"Perhaps he regretted this; for me, even now I cannot find a way to resolve it, so I regret that," the Dalai Lama said.

Historically, Tibet had been culturally separate from China, ruled by a theocratic Buddhist elite until 1950 when China's People's Liberation Army took over the area.

The Dalai Lama and tens of thousands of followers fled into exile, and Beijing radically reformed Tibet on Communist lines. China's government has said the Dalai Lama can return to China but must live in Beijing and may not return to his former role as "God-King."

The Dalai Lama made no value judgment on Deng's rule.

"People who research history, after doing unbiased research on Deng Xiaoping's public and private affairs, will gradually determine whether his life was beneficial for the nation of China or not, as well as with regard to the Tibetan issue ... I have nothing special to say about this," the Dalai Lama said.

A translation of the interview was provided by the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet.