Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, July 2 /Xinhua/ — Russia supports China in protecting its unity and territorial integrity, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday, answering a question from a Xinhua correspondent about the 14th Dalai Lama’s attempts to split China and undermine stability in the Xizang Autonomous Region.
A Xinhua reporter asked at a briefing: “The 14th Dalai Lama announced his intention to deliver a speech on the issue of reincarnation on his birthday /July 6/. The Chinese side has consistently believed that the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile who is engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the religious flag and has no right to represent the Xizang people. How does the Russian side feel about the Dalai Lama’s attempt to split China and undermine the stability of Xizang using “reincarnation”? Does Russia support China’s sovereign position on Xizang issues?”
“I would still concentrate not so much on the personality of the Dalai Lama, but on our fundamental approach, which concerns unity and territorial integrity – this is the fundamental principle in Russian-Chinese relations,” noted the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
M. Zakharova emphasized that Moscow and Beijing provide each other with support in protecting the aforementioned principles, which is recorded in the basic interstate documents, including the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of July 16, 2001. “Our countries do not allow any activity on their territory that could harm each other’s sovereignty and security,” she said, noting that the corresponding mutual understanding was once again confirmed in the joint statement of Russia and China, adopted following the talks between the leaders of the two countries on May 8 in Moscow.
As the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry added, it is precisely this approach that is the key to the sustainable development of the Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in the long term. “This fully meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries in all their regional and ethnic diversity,” concluded M. Zakharova. –0–