Tibet will stick to its own path with or without the Dalai Lama, a central government official said yesterday, noting that the Chinese, including Tibetans, will decide the future of the region.

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The official also warned that a possible meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama would further strain Sino-US relations.

He stressed that the central government wants to "give the Dalai Lama a chance to correct his mistakes" by keeping the door open for talks with his envoys.

"The Chinese people, including Tibetans, will decide the future of Tibet," Zhu Weiqun, executive vice-minister of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said at a press conference in Beijing.

He was responding to questions on what would become of the Tibet autonomous region after the Dalai Lama's death.

Asked if the central government would find a solution to the Tibet issue more difficult after the Dalai Lama's death, Zhu replied: "It is not polite in China to talk about the possibility of a 75-year-old man passing away. We hope he lives a long life."

The central government hopes the Dalai Lama settles his affairs while still alive, and does not pass away abroad, he said.

Central government officials met with the Dalai Lama's private representatives, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, last week in China, more than a year after the Dalai Lama declared an end to contacts and talks following a meeting in November 2008. The two sides had "sharply divided" views in the latest round of talks "as usual", Zhu said.

But he said the talks - at the request of the Dalai side - "had some upside" as they allowed both sides know the exact differences and how wide the differences were.

The central government wanted to "give the Dalai Lama a chance to correct his mistakes" by holding talks with his envoys, Zhu said.

Asked to comment on the possibility of an upsurge in violence and terrorist activities after the death of the Dalai Lama, Zhu told reporters that he believed most Tibetans living abroad love peace, like to be in touch with their family and friends in Tibet, and be part of the region's development.

Tanzen Lhundrup, deputy director of the Institute of Social and Economic Studies affiliated to the China Tibetology Research Center, warned that it is "quite possible" that some extremist forces abroad may resort to violence or terrorism if the Tibet issue is not resolved when the Dalai Lama still has influence.

"Since he (the Dalai Lama) claims he does not seek 'Tibet independence', the Dalai Lama should put words into practice by, say, curbing such extremist forces as the 'Tibet Youth Congress'," he told China Daily yesterday.

But Tanzen Lhundrup emphasized that the central government is well prepared to deal with the post-Dalai Lama era.

Zhu said the talks between the central government and the Dalai Lama's representatives were not futile as the central government arranged trips for the envoys to visit Hunan province to better understand the country and the regional ethnic autonomy policy.