Press Trust of India
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 (New Delhi)
China on Tuesday praised the UPA government for asking its ministers 
to stay away from a recent function to felicitate Buddhist spiritual 
leader the Dalai Lama, whom it accused of trying to ''split China''.

Though being a religious leader, the Dalai Lama is involved in 
politics, China's Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi told reporters in New 
Delhi.

''I greatly appreciate the move by the Indian government,'' he said 
when asked to comment on the recent advisory of Cabinet Secretary K M 
Chandrasekhar asking union ministers to stay away from a function to 
honour the Dalai Lama.

''He (the Dalai Lama) is trying to separate and split China,'' Sun 
said on the sidelines of a function organised by the Federation of 
Indian Exporters Organisations.

The Cabinet Secretary had issued a circular, advising ministers not 
to attend the function on Saturday.

The Tibetan spiritual leader had returned from a visit to the US 
where he received the highest civilian award bestowed by the US 
Congress, much to the chagrin of China.