UK govt banned ministers to meet Dalai Lama

They said they could not understand how the Government could impose a "blanket prohibition on a minister meeting a religious leader in private in a non-ministerial capacity and we think this crossed a line.

The two leaders said they felt British policy over China was "tantamount to saying that British foreign policy on Tibet is whatever China wants it to be."

"It completes ignores the fact his Holiness is a spiritual leader only and no longer holds a political position and is frankly just plain wrong."

Loughton was sacked as a minister in the September reshuffle while transport minister Baker is still in post.

Meanwhile, a British Government spokesman said: "The Chinese Government always lobbies hard against any meetings between foreign governments and the Dalai Lama.

"We made clear in advance to the Chinese Government that British Ministers will decide who they meet and when they meet them - irrespective of Chinese lobbying.

"It was never intended that any Minister would meet the Dalai Lama on his second visit. We are committed to striking a balance between taking a clear position on Tibet, and sustaining broad-based engagement with the Chinese Government.

"It is only through engaging China that we can help bring about positive change to human rights in China," the Telegraph said.

Beijing, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, is strongly opposed to any government official meeting him in any capacity, saying the Nobel laureate aims to split Tibet from China.

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