World Tibet Network News Thursday, June 25, 1998

HONG KONG, June 25 (AFP) - The Chinese government has recently shown signs of flexibility in recognising foreign concerns over Tibet, a leading expert on Tibetan affairs said on Thursday.

Barry Sautman, assistant professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and author of a paper written for American officials on Tibet's impact on Sino-US affairs, said signs had emerged of a subtle change in policy.

"There has been some indications that the Chinese government has admitted there is such a thing as the Tibetan question," he told a luncheon, as China prepared to welcome US President Bill Clinton.

"There have been some very recent signs that the Chinese may be willing to consider foreign involvement in the solution to the Tibetan question," he said.

Beijing has long condemned attempts at foreign intervention in the Tibetan question, which it insists is an internal matter.

China sent troops to 'liberate' Tibet in 1951, claiming it as an inalienable part of China.

Tibet's top spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India eight years later after an abortive uprising and has been fighting for greater autonomy ever since.

Sautman said signs of detente included the recent publication in an official Chinese newspaper of an article by an American Chinese on the Tibetan question and the fact a US group involved in poverty alleviation was recently received at a very high level in the Tibetan capital Lhasa.

But Sautman ruled out any high-level breakthrough on Tibet during Saturday's Sino-US summit.

"What is likely to happen is that (President) Clinton will raise the issue and will be treated to the standard speech of Tibet as a part of China," he said.

"But it is entirely possible for contact between Chinese and US officials at a lower level," which could lead to dialogue, he said, adding in the past there had only been mutual denunciations over the issue of Tibet.