Chinese Leaders and Dalai Lama Envoys Will Meet Again

It's not every day the Chinese and Dalai Lama leadership come to an agreement, but Sunday's talks between the two parties did produce a tangible result: a second round of talks.  Whether or not these talks will prove fruitful remains to be seen.

There's still a huge difference of opinion between supporters of China and those of the Dalai Lama, which I don't expect to go away any time soon.

Recent editorials in China's official paper provice a pretty good litmus test of what Chinese leaders think about the Dalai Lama, and they're not big fans.  Headlines include: "Dalai Lama is Spewing Lies, "Dalai Lama Should Comply with the Tide of History",  "'Tibet Issue' is by No Means a Religious Issue.

In contrast, Tibetan sympathizers, like the Free Tibet Campaign, say the unrest of the past March  has "exposed the myth, carefully crafted by the Chinese authorities, that China in 2008 is an open society, a worthy host of the Olympics and everything for which they stand."

These conflicting viewpoints also come to the surface in terms of media coverage following the talks.  Here are responses from officials from China and the Tibetan Goverment in Exile.

According to a China Daily (Xinhua)article: (summarizing the points of the Chinese government officials in the meetings) "It is the hope of the central government that to create conditions for the next round of contact and consultation, the Dalai side would live up to their word and take credible action to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence, and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games."

Lhasang Tsering, a former Tibetan government official in Dharamsala, India told The Wall Street Journal, "The reality is the Chinese are playing for time and we are playing into their hands . . . We already know we can't have 'meaningful' talks with the Chinese."

It's difficult to make sense of these conflicting responses and perspectives.  Already Tibetan supporters aren't expecting "meaningful talks with the Chinese," and the Chinese don't think the Dalai side is taking "credible action to stop activities aimed at splitting China," among other things.  Of course, these aren't even the least of the contradictions.

Many Chinese say that China's involvement in Tibet has brought a higher standard of living for its people.  Pro-Tibet sympathizers would argue the opposite, and say that human rights in Tibet, including the freedom of religion, are dubious at best.

Chinese want to expose the Dalai Lama for "lies and deceptions", whereas Tibetan sympathizers want to expose the Chinese government for "deception and oppression."  With such vastly different perceptions, how do you even begin to find common ground?

The White House applauded the decision for continued talks between China and the Dalai Lama.  White House spokesperson Scott Stanzel said this dialogue "is the best way to address some of the fundamental issues in Tibet," but is this enough? 

The international community hopes that these talks will sufficiently address the issues for both sides in a peaceful way, but I wonder if this expectation might need a little readjustment.   

China and the Dalai Lama envoy have agreed to meet for another talk, but new negotiations don't necessarily mean that they're closer to a resolution.  On the other hand, even though they don't seem to be making tremendous strides through the talks, they're a start.