23 May 2008
Dalai Lama meets UK Prime Minister
Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama at Lambeth Palace, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Prime Minister came under criticism in Britain for not holding the meeting at 10 Downing Street, but Xinhua reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "This interferes in China's internal affairs, and hurts Chinese people's feelings as well". The 30-minute private meeting was "warm and constructive", a Downing Street spokesman said, and the discussion focused on forthcoming talks on Tibet's future between Tibetan representatives and Beijing officials. They also discussed human rights and ways to help China in the aftermath of the 12 May earthquake. The Dalai Lama is currently on an 11-day visit to the UK and the previous day had given evidence at Westminster before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee hearings on human rights.