China on Thursday reiterated its strong opposition to the United States allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the US and meet with US leaders.

　　Kong said China had lodged representations with the United States on the Dalai Lama's visit and his meetings with officials, calling for the United States to keep its promise that it acknowledged Tibet as part of China and did not support the "independence of Tibet".

　　He said the Dalai Lama was not just a religious figure, but a political figure in exile, who had been engaged in long-term activities attempting to split China and sabotage China's national unity.

　　China urged the United States to stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China's internal affairs which would harm China-US relations, the spokesman said.

　　Kong said China's attitude and policy to the Dalai Lama was "very clear".

　　The Dalai Lama must truly stop activities that aimed to separate China, and must clearly acknowledge that Tibet and Taiwan were both parts of China. And under such conditions, the channel of contacts between both sides is fully opened, the spokesman said.

           (from XINHUANEWS)