China to Meet with HH XIV Dalai Lama

In a surprising announcement today, China's government agreed to meet with an envoy of His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama, after calls from leaders around the globe for dialogue between the two governments.

While the Chinese government has not released a date for when the meetings will take place or who they will involve, "The Xinhua report said China had committed only to a meeting and appeared to attach routine conditions for opening a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, including a demand that he stop plotting for Tibet's independence 'so as to create conditions for talks.'"

However, as reported by the Associated Press:

The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he had not received any official Chinese confirmation of the report. He sounded a cautious note on any potential talks.

"The Dalai Lama is always open to have a dialogue but the present circumstances in Tibet do not appear to be an appropriate platform for a meaningful dialogue," Samdhong Rimpoche told The Associated Press in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala.

However, even though the announcement is not specific in the details of these talks and the conditions for them, the fact that China is finally opening itself to talk with perhaps the only man who really does know what to do in order to fix the Sino-Tibetan crisis, this is progress. Hopefully, the Chinese government will back up these statements with positive action and take steps to stop the genocide it commits against "its own people" in its "harmonious society."For the article, click here.