04 March,2017 10:50 AM IST | | Agencies
China yesterday warned India against allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, saying it would cause serious damage to the bilateral ties and peace in the disputed border region
The Dalai Lama
Beijing: China yesterday warned India against allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, saying it would cause "serious damage" to the bilateral ties and peace in the disputed border region.
"China is gravely concerned over information that India has granted permission to the Dalai to visit Arunachal Pradesh," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media here.
Reacting to Geng's remarks, a senior Indian government official in New Delhi said that India's position is well known and has not changed.
While China has been claiming Arunachal Pradesh as part of Tibet and routinely objects to visits by top leaders, officials and diplomats to the area, India has been maintaining that the Tibetan spiritual leader was an honoured guest and was free to travel to any part of the country.
China had aired similar concerns in October last year, when India granted permission to the Tibetan leader to visit Arunachal Pradesh at the invitation of the state government.
The visit is expected to take place this year.
"China is strongly opposed to the Dalai visiting disputed areas," Geng said.
