Plans of the Dalai Lama have strained relations between Beijing and new Delhi
Plans of the Dalai Lama to visit the beautiful Buddhist town in North-East India caused new tensions between Beijing and new Delhi.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama was expected to hold spiritual discussions and conduct teaching in the town of Tawang, located in Arunachal Pradesh in North-East India. While the religious leader is seen as a pain for China, under ordinary circumstances, his visit to Tawang is considered by Beijing as particularly provocative, because the city is part of the Indian territory, which China officially claims as their own.
The Ministry of foreign Affairs of China warned that the visit of the Dalai Lama in Tawang "will seriously harm the peace and stability of border areas between China and India and Sino-Indian relations", adding that inviting the Dalai Lama to the area where China and India have territorial disputes, the Indian side "had violated its commitment on issues related to Tibet, and aggravated a border dispute".
In the past Beijing has called the Dalai Lama a "traitor", calling him "an anti-Chinese separatist under the cloak of religion." Buddhist city is home to the revered monastery of Tavan, one of the largest outside Tibet's capital of Lhasa, and is considered the birthplace of the popular sixth Dalai Lama, Gyatso Zanjan. In traditional Tibetan belief, the name "Dalai Lama" is designed for the highest leader in Tibetan Buddhism. The name given to those who is the reincarnation of a line of respected religious teachers. Tawang is strategically important to China, because his monastery is one of the centers of power of the game in the internal Tibetan politics and the Dalai Lama appoints the head of this monastery. China also cares about what happens in Tavane because claims that this is his territory.
History Tavanga is an indirect field of battle between the great powers. In 2016, the area was visited by the US Ambassador to India Richard Verma that caused a diplomatic stir. At that time, China stated that the US "sabotage the peace and tranquility, hard-won on the border between China and India."
The last visit of the Dalai Lama in 2009, also faced serious objections from Beijing.
"An error occurred does not give permission to create another, even more unacceptable to repeat the mistakes", - said the representative of the foreign Ministry of China, Lu Kang.
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