Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday, November 28, 1997

BEIJING, Nov 27 (AFP) - China voiced strong opposition Thursday to moves by Australian lawmakers to follow a US lead and appoint a special coordinator for Tibet.

The Australian Senate passed a motion on Monday calling for a government funded special coordinator to promote talks between China and the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader.

"We would like to express our strong dissatisfaction to the passing of this motion designed to interfere into China's internal affairs by the Australian Senate and our resolute opposition to a special coordinator," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang.

He said trade relations between China and Australia were on an upswing and the action of the Australian Senate "runs counter to this and we hope the Australian government will take effective measures to prevent such a thing from happening."

The US State Department named Greg Craig on October 31 to the newly-created post of special coordinator on US policy on Tibet. The aim is to support the preservation of the region's culture and promote Sino-Tibetan dialogue.

The Chinese government vehemently objected to the US appointment saying Tibetan affairs were a Chinese domestic matter and no foreign country has the right to interfere in its internal affairs.

Tasmanian senator Bob Brown won endorsement on Monday for a motion to note and welcome the US special coordinator for Tibet leading to the call for the Australian government to do the same.

Craig, the State Department director of policy planning, arrived in India -- home to about 100,000 Tibetan exiles -- with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last week.

He did not, however, meet any Tibetan representative in New Delhi or stop at Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama's exiled leadership is based.