China accused Dalai Lama for trying to split the country

Beijing: China has slammed Dalai Lama for his alleged attempts to “split China”, saying that it would resolutely oppose his “separatist activities” in any country.

Reacting to reports of a South African court questioning the delay in visa to the Tibetan spiritual leader, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Hong Lei said for China the Dalai Lama is a political exile.

The Dalai Lama was invited to South Africa to deliver a lecture at the 80th birthday celebrations of anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu on October 4 last year but his application for a visa did not get any response from authorities on time.

The delay led him to cancel his trip while an outraged Tutu had lashed out at the government calling it worse than the apartheid-era dispensation.