(TibetanReview.net, Jul02, 2015) – European Council President Donald Tusk of Poland has on Jun 29 evening urged China to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives during his meeting with Premier Li Keqiang at the 17th bilateral EU China summit held in Brussels. Addressing a joint press conference with the Chinese leader, Tusk has also said, “I expressed our concerns on freedom of expression and association in China, including the situation of the persons belonging to minorities such as Tibetans and Uighurs.”
Continuing with it, he further said, “In that context, I have encouraged China to resume a meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives.”
Tusk said his side supported China’s ambitious reform process, expressing confidence that it will be a success. He then added, “We also discussed how we could further improve cooperation on human rights at the bilateral and international level.”
Tusk expressed happiness that the two sides could agree that the next round of their bilateral human rights dialogue and the second visit of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to China will both take place, separately, in November this year.
Tusk was in Brussels to co-chair the summit and to mark the 40th anniversary of China-EU relations. However, just two steps away from the summit building, at the European Parliament building, another anniversary was being highlighted: the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. While China perceives the Dalai Lama as ‘a wolf in monk’s robes’, noted a French language report posted on the website lalibre.be, a photo exhibition on him highlighted the Nobel Peace laureate’s stature and international recognition.
The photos showed the Tibetan spiritual leader posing with European leaders, amongst whom were no less than Donald Tusk himself, besides German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, European Parliament President Martin Schulz and many others, the report said.