China responds to Brown comments

BEIJING, March 20 (UPI) -- China says it is "seriously concerned" about British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's plans to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in London.

"China is seriously concerned about (Brown's comments)," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told the state-run Xinhua news agency. "As we have repeatedly pointed out, Dalai is a political refugee engaged in activities of splitting China under the camouflage of religion."

Speaking in Parliament Wednesday, Brown said he had talked to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, informing the Chinese leader he would meet the Dalai Lama during the latter's visit to London in May, the BBC reported. Brown also told Wen the violence in Tibet must end.

The Chinese spokesman urged Britain to get a clear understanding of the Dalai Lama's "true face" and offer no support for his secessionist activities, the Xinhua report said.

Qin also accused the "Dalai clique" (China's reference to the Tibetan leader and his supporters) of organizing and inciting the recent protests in Lhasa against Chinese rule in which several died.