Beijing, Nov 11 (IANS) China Tuesday said it was “strongly dissatisfied” with India over Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own.
“The Indian side allowed the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed eastern section of the China-India border regardless of China’s grave concerns, and China is strongly dissatisfied with this,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a news briefing.

The Dalai Lama arrived in India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh Sunday.

“We firmly oppose the Dalai Lama’s visit to the region,” Xinhua quoted Qin as saying.

The visit “fully exposes the Dalai Lama’s separatist nature”, Qin said. “His attempt will not succeed.”

Beijing’s reaction came a day after India denied that Dalai Lama was visiting Tawang under pressure from New Delhi.

Global Times had quoted a Chinese analyst as saying that the Dalai Lama’s visit to the area, which China calls southern Tibet, was made under pressure from India.

Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Monday said in New Delhi: “The Dalai Lama is free to travel anywhere in India… I have not heard the suggestion comes from us as we do not deal with the spiritual travels of spiritual leaders. He has to visit his flock as he sees fit.”

Another unnamed Chinese scholar warned Monday that India was on the “wrong track again” vis-a-vis China.

The scholar quoted by Global Times said: “India may have forgotten the lesson of 1962, when its repeated provocation resulted in military clashes.” He warned: “India is on this wrong track again.”

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since 1959 when he fled his homeland after an abortive uprising against Communist rule. His government-in-exile in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala is not recognised by any country.

India is also home to some 100,000 Tibetan exiles.