China News Agency - Taiwan

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) The Dalai Lama is planning to contact Taiwan authorities by the end of this week to discuss the establishment of a Tibetan liaison office in Taipei, Gyalo Thondup, second brother of the Tibetan spiritual leader, said Sunday.

Thondup made the comment in an interview with CNA before departing for Hong Kong.

Thondup told CNA that he felt positive about the Dalai Lama's unprecedented visit to Taiwan March 22-27. He said he hopes that the successful visit will lead to the establishment of an unofficial representative office in Taipei and an increase in exchanges between the people of Taiwan and Tibet.

The Dalai Lama told reporters at a press conference before his departure last Thursday that he was optimistic about setting up a liaison office in Taiwan to promote cultural and religious exchanges.

As to the name of the planned Tibetan representative office, Thondup said his brother has no particular prejudices and would accept such names as "The Tibetan Religion and Cultural Center in Taiwan", or "The Tibetan Buddhism Center", or "The Dalai Lama Office in Taiwan".

Thondup said the Dalai Lama hopes the unofficial representative office can be set up as soon as possible without invoking Beijing's accusation of supporting "splittism".

Mainland China last week attacked the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan as a conclave of "splittists", saying that pro-independence forces from the two regions were conspiring to divide China.

When asked who will be appointed to head the planned Tibetan representative office, Thondup said the Dalai Lama will mostly likely nominate a younger lama versed in Mandarin to fill the post. (By Huang Chao-ping & Elizabeth Hsu)