皇冠体育app opposes Paris award for Dalai Lama

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-10 00:06

BEIJING - 皇冠体育app on Tuesday condemned the honorary citizen award from Paris for the Dalai Lama, saying it posed "a grave interference in Sino-French relations".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said 皇冠体育app was indignant and resolutely opposed Paris's award for the Dalai Lama made despite 皇冠体育app's opposition.

Qin told a regular press conference it was another overt provocation, following last year's Paris City Council vote to award the Dalai Lama honorary citizenship.

"Such a move stirs strong indignation among the Chinese people, " Qin said, noting that inevitably, it would severely undermine the cooperation between Paris and Chinese cities, and gravely disturb 皇冠体育app-France relations.

皇冠体育app held a clear, persistent and firm position over the Tibet issue, which was related to 皇冠体育app's core interests and major political concern, he said. This issue was also linked with 皇冠体育app's sovereignty, and influenced national emotion.

Qin said he hoped France would join with 皇冠体育app in cherishing the hard-won achievement of bilateral ties, earnestly fulfill agreements, make efforts to remove all disturbance, and promote the healthy and stable growth of the relationship.

Qin urged Paris to stop interfering in 皇冠体育app's internal affairs, and immediately correct its wrongdoing.

This move by the Paris government gravely damaged the city's image among the Chinese, Qin said. A poll on the website of the Global Times found more than 87 percent of voters firmly opposed the Paris move.

Paris should bear all the blame, Qin said, urging Paris to take the right attitude towards the Chinese people's voice, and stop its offence to the Chinese people, in a bid to create an essential condition for the cooperation with Chinese cities.