Dharamsala, Nov 6 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama Tuesday said many Chinese have told him that they support his visits to Japan. He said that he visited Japan annually, as he receives many invitations from that country.
"I think my visit is quite useful for the Buddhist community here and it's also my duty to share my knowledge and experiences with the Japanese people," the Nobel Peace laureate told reporters in Japan Monday, according to a post on the website of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) here.
The elderly monk's assertions came on a day when China objected to his visit to Japan.
The Dalai Lama had earlier said that he was a little concerned over the visit to Japan, after the recent anti-Japanese movement in China.
Responding to a query on the deteriorating relations between Japan and China, the Dalai Lama said: "China needs Japan, Japan needs China, as East needs West and West needs East. This is today's reality. So people, including leaders, should think in a more holistic way to face the reality, rather than have small disagreements and allow vested interests to affect relations."
The Dalai Lama also said that only democracy can bring a harmonious and stable society in China.
"In the name of harmony, the Chinese government is using secrecy, bullying and oppression towards its own people. That's why China's internal security budget is larger than its defence budget. So it clearly shows that China's biggest enemy is within China itself," the spiritual leader said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said Monday: "The Dalai Lama is merely a political exile who has long been engaged in activities to split China under the disguise of religion."
"The Dalai Lama's international activities aim at colluding with international anti-China separatist forces to undermine relations between China and other countries so as to split the nation," reported Xinhua, quoting Hong.
The elderly monk was forced along with some 80,000 Tibetans to flee his homeland Tibet March 17, 1959, after the Chinese invasion of Tibet.
His Tibetan government-in-exile that never won recognition from any country is based here.
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