Relevant people in the United States should stop supporting and conniving with the Dalai Lama and separatist forces for "Tibet independence," the Foreign Ministry said in Beijing on Monday.

Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao made the remarks when commenting on a report that Republican presidential candidate John McCain had met last Friday with the Dalai Lama, who was visiting the United States.

"China is seriously concerned about the report," Liu said, noting the Tibet issue is China's domestic affair.

China opposed the Dalai Lama conducting separatist activities in any country with any individual and opposed anyone making use of the Dalai Lama issue to interfere in China's domestic affairs. The stance is persistent and clear, Liu said.

He urged relevant people in the United States to abide by the basic principles of international relations, see clearly the true face of the Dalai Lama as separating China and destroying social stability and national unity in Tibet under the cloak of religion and stop supporting and conniving with the Dalai Lama and the separatist forces for "Tibet independence," as well as anything interfering in China's domestic affairs and damaging Sino-U.S. relations.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2008)