State Department Statement Over Envoys’ Visit
27 May, 2003: State Department spokesman Richard Boucher read the statement below at today’s mid-day State Department press briefing.
“We were pleased to learn that Mr. Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama’s Special
Envoy, and his delegation were received by Chinese officials on May 25
in Shanghai. We understand that this is a follow-on trip to the
September 2002 visit when two the sides renewed contact. We look forward
to hearing more on the conclusion of the talks. The President and the
Secretary continue to discuss with Chinese leaders the need for
substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representative to
resolve long standing differences. The Administration will follow this
visit with great interest and we hope this trip will bring both sides
closer to engaging in such a dialogue.”