DHARAMSHALA: The British government has said Prime Minister David Cameron’s meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama was “not intended to hurt China” as alleged by the Chinese government.

Prime Minister Cameron and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg on Monday met His Holiness the Dalai Lama at St Paul’s Cathedral, where Templeton Prize was conferred on His Holiness for exceptional work affirming the spiritual dimension of life.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei alleged that “the meeting has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and sent false signals to the “Tibet independence” forces.”

Moreover, Daily Mail reported that “Britain’s ambassador in Beijing, Sebastian Wood, was summoned to the Chinese foreign ministry to receive a rebuke from China’s vice foreign minister Song Tao.”

Defending the meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Prime Minister Cameron’s official spokesman said there was no intention that the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip to Britain should harm relations.

“The Dalai Lama is an important religious figure. We don’t want to see our relationship with China disrupted by the visit of the Dalai Lama,” said spokesperson Mr Steve Field.

‘The Dalai Lama travels all over the world and has visited the UK several times in the past, and I believe that former prime ministers also met him when they were in office,” he added.

Former prime ministers Mr John Major in 1991, Mr Tony Blair 1999, and Mr Gordon Brown in 2008, met His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Chinese government’s allegations against His Holiness the Dalai Lama for seeking Tibet’s separation from China is groundless. In fact, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has advocated genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution.

During the eighth round of dialogue with the Chinese leadership in 2008, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s envoys have presented a Memorandum to implement genuine autonomy in Tibet. The memorandum outlines how specific needs of the Tibetan nationality for autonomy and self-government on matters of – language, culture, religion, education, environmental protection, utilisation of natural resources, economic development and trade, public health, public security, regulation on population migration, cultural, educational and religious exchanges with other countries – can be implemented under a single administration for the Tibetan nationality. (Full text of Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People)

The Envoys also presented a Note to clarify the concerns and misinterpretation on the Memorandum by the Chinese leadership during the ninth round of dialogue in January 2010. The Envoys called upon the Chinese side to stop the baseless accusations against His Holiness and labelling him a separatist. Instead, they urge the Chinese leadership to work with him to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan problem based on the Memorandum. (Full text of Note on Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People)