China blasts Dalai Lama's comments

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BEIJING, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned what he termed the Dalai Lama's separatist activities in referring to contested territory by its Japanese name.

The Dalai Lama showed "his true colors of betraying the motherland and engaging in activities to split China, under the guise of religion," said spokesman Hone Lei in reference to the religious leader's comments at a Yokohama, Japan, news conference. The Dalai Lama referred to the Diaoyu Islands by their Japanese name, the Senkaku Islands.

The uninhabited islands in the South China Sea are controlled by Japan.

Last week China lodged a formal protest against the Dalai Lama's 10-day trip to Japan, which began Nov. 4, the Xinhua News Agency reported.