Britain, Tibet exchange 'visits of communication'

Updated: 2009-11-27 16

(Xinhua)

LONDON: British Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis reiterated his country's stance of Tibet being part of China on Thursday while meeting a senior official from the Chinese autonomous region.

Lewis, who visited Tibet this past September, confirmed this by citing the social and economic achievements he had witnessed in the autonomous region of China.

Legqog, chairman of the Standing Committee of Tibetan Autonomous Regional People's Congress under the Chinese National People's Congress, said during the meeting that the Sino-British partnership is prospering as the two countries have enhanced top-level exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

The senior Chinese official said that Lewis' recent tour to Tibet conforms to the English idiom "seeing is believing," as Lewis saw with his own eyes what the social and economic status quo is in Tibet.

"My visit to Britain this time is aimed at furthering exchange between Tibet and Britain, and improving Britain's understanding of Tibet," said Legqog.

The two also compared notes on issues concerning the Chinese autonomous region.

While meeting with Ben Chapman, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary China Group, Legqog said his Tibetan delegation is visiting Britain at the invitation of Chapman's group, which recently visited Tibet.

The Chinese official described the exchanges as "visits of communication."

"The visit to Tibet by British MPs was the first done in recent years by Western legislators," Legqog explained. "The British visitors praised as well as confirmed the social and economic achievements Tibet has made under the leadership of China's central government. They have expressed their full support to the British government's stance of Tibet being part of China."

Legqog used the Chinese proverb "Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times" to illustrate this.

He promised that both sides would continue making such visits so as to allow more people to make objective judgments on Tibet.

During the meeting with Chapman and some other British MPs, Legqog used concrete figures to demonstrate the advances made during the 50 years of democratic reform in the autonomous region.

Legqog believed that the region would strengthen trade, culture and education exchanges with Britain under the sound development of Sino-British relations.

Moreover, Legqog hoped that more British MPs, government officials and media practitioners would visit Tibet to get to know the region better.

During the meeting, Legqog also elaborated China's stance on issues the British MPs take interest in.

The Tibetan delegation, led by Legqog, started its visit to Britain on Wednesday. It is scheduled to meet with members of The 48 Group Club, an independent business network dedicated to fostering positive relations with China, and representatives from local media houses in Britain.