Prince Charles fuels China-UK dispute

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla received the Dalai Lama, who led an unsuccessful uprising against Chinese rule over Tibet in 1959, at their Clarence House residence in London on Wednesday.

The three were shown in news media footage taking an intimate tour of the Clarence House gardens including a magnolia spectrum tree, which the Dalai Lama planted during a visit in 2008.

There were also other shows of friendship including walking hand in hand and the Dalai Lama calling Charles a “good human being.”

The visit, which Clarence House insisted was a “private” informal one, could enrage Chinese officials, including President Hu Jintao who had to discuss the Tibet issue with Charles in London back in 2009.

The meeting is also expected to raise controversy as the Dalai Lama launched a media attack on Beijing on Wednesday saying the “basic right[s]” of people is at stake in Tibet.

Back in May, Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the Dalai Lama of being “engaged in international anti-China separatist activities” and Beijing considers any show of his approval a redline.

Tensions between China and Britain have recently heightened after the last month meeting between British Prime Minister David Cameron and the Dalai Lama, which led to the cancellation of a planned visit by the head of China’s parliament to London.

The stand-off has reportedly even affected official visits between Chinese and British ministers with reports saying British Trade and Investment minister Lord Green and Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne were recently snubbed by Chinese officials during visits to the country.

There are fears that the dispute could affect Cameron’s planned visit to China at the end of the year.

AMR/JR/HE

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