The Chinese government and the Dalai Lama's representatives will meet in Beijing on Saturday to discuss the "current crisis" in Tibet and ways to bring peace to the region, which witnessed widespread violent protests recently.
The talks are taking place more than a week after China, bowing to pressure from the international community, decided to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama's Special Envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen will hold "informal talks" with the representatives of the Chinese leadership, the Tibetan government-in-exile announced New Delhi today.
'During the talks, the envoys will take up the urgent issue of the current crisis in the Tibetan areas. They will convey His Holiness the Dalai Lama's deep concerns about the Chinese authorities' handling of the situation and also provide suggestions to bring peace to the region,' a statement issued by the Tibetan government-in-exile said.
Noting that China had indicated its intention to continue the dialogue, the statement said the Dalai Lama's envoys will press for moving forward on the process for a "mutually satisfactory solution" to the Tibetan issue.
In the wake of widespread protests and violence in Tibet in March, the international community, including India, has been pressing China to hold talks with the Dalai Lama to address the issue.
China announced on April 25 that it was ready to hold talks with the Dalai Lama's envoys.
Responding to the announcement, the Dalai Lama made it clear that the talks would have no benefit unless these were serious.
"It depends on what kind of talk. If they are serious talks they are most welcome. Just mere seeing face to face is not (enough)," he had said.
