Xinhua (People's Republic of China)
February 2, 2010

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese central
government and the Dalai Lama side had "sharply
divided" views in the latest talks "as usual," a senior official said Tuesday.

Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the United
Front Work Department of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee, told a press
conference, "We have been accustomed to such a
viewpoint confrontation as views had been divided
in previous talks" between the central government
and the private representatives of the Dalai Lama.

But he said the viewpoint confrontation also "had
some upside" as it let both sides know what
exactly their differences were and how wide the differences were.

"It helps the Dalai Lama realize the position he has been in."

The central government wanted to "give the Dalai
Lama a chance to correct his mistakes" by holding
talks with his envoys, Zhu said.

However, he said, the talks were not without
result, as the central government arranged trips
for the envoys to visit central Hunan Province to
better understand the country and the ethnic autonomy policy.