THE MEETING between the Dalai Lama and Taiwan's President, Mr Lee Teng-hui, in Taiwan yesterday a get together of "splittists" as the communist Chinese government calls them - appeared designed to provoke Beijing. But Tibet's exiled spiritual leader ended his first visit to Taiwan by appealing to the nationalist ruled island and his own followers to seek a compromise with communist China.
The 61 year old Buddhist monk has led a government in exile in India since the failure of an anti Chinese revolt in Tibet in 1959. Yesterday he signalled strongly that he is tired of wandering the world seeking support and wants to return to Tibet.
"I believe my visit here can promote closer understanding between the Tibetans and Chinese," he said after meeting President Lee Teng hui. The Tibetan problem is neither good for Tibet nor for China. We must find a mutual solution."
The Chinese government issued a standard criticism of the Dalai Lama's six day visit to Taiwan - where there is by no means widespread support for Tibetan independence from mainland China.
"The Dalai Lama has for a long time been engaged around the world in activities to split the motherland," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr Cui Tiankai, at a regular news briefing in Beijing. "This time he has run to Taiwan, apparently bringing along his political goals. We are opposed to any person using any methods in any place to engage in activities to split the motherland or disrupt ethnic unity."
But the Dalai Lamas language was anything but "splittist". He said that he favoured the "one country, two systems" idea which China has invented to guarantee continued autonomy for Hang Kong after China resumes sovereignty there, and as an enticement to Taiwan to return to the Chinese fold.
. Mr James Sasser, US ambassador to China, said yesterday that he expects Washington to ask the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva to adopt a resolution criticising China for human rights abuses. Mr Sasser is accompanying the US Vice President, Mr Al Gore, on his visit to China.