China strongly opposed a so-called Congressional gold medal to Dalai Lama from the US Congress and the presence of President George W. Bush to the awarding ceremony, and strongly urged the US side to cancel such arrangement.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Sunday night that the awarding to Dalai Lama and the presence of the US leaders have severely trampled on the norms of international relations, hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, and are wild interference in China's domestic affairs.

 

"China is strongly resentful of and resolutely opposes this and has made solemn represent to the US side. We seriously urged the US side to correct such wrong doing and cancel relevant arrangement, and stop interfering in China's domestic affairs in any forms," Liu said.

 

He said Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the Tibet issue is purely China's internal affairs. China resolutely opposes any country or any people to make use of the Dalai Lama issue to interfere in its domestic affairs.

 

"The words and deeds of Dalai Lama in the dozens of years showed that he is a political refugee engaging in separating the country in the name of religion," Liu said.

 

He stressed that the Chinese people have undeviating resolution to safeguard their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any conspiracy using Dalai Lama issue to interfere in China's internal affairs is destined to be defeated.

 

The White House said on Thursday that the US Congress planned to award Dalai Lama the Congressional gold medal on October 17.

 

It is reported that though China has expressed its concern to the US side, Bush will still attend the awarding ceremony and probably will meet with Dalai Lama, according to the White House.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)