World Tibet Network News Wednesday, June 10, 1998

VIENNA, June 10 (AFP) - Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Wednesday he wanted "friendly" relations with China, and welcomed the EU's constructive role in his dispute with Beijing.

"Permanent hardline criticism cannot bring progress," he told reporters on the second day of a four-day trip to Austria, which takes over the six-month EU presidency from July 1.

He reiterated his call for autonomy rather than independence for Tibet, and said he wanted to deal with China as "an equal partner."

"Since Tibet is in many ways a backward country, material arguments go against total independence," he said, adding that "there are also advantages to being linked to a large country like China."

The Nobel Peace laureate met Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel on Tuesday after arriving from Germany.

In Thursday he will travel to the Salzkammergut region near Salzburg and Graz in the south of the country, before leaving on Friday.