Tibetan-Chinese Negotiations

Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials have been engaged in a dialogue process since September 2002. ICT advocates for negotiations between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government in order to bring about a peaceful solution to the status of Tibet.

Unfortunately, six years of sporadic dialogue have not progressed to substantive negotiations. The talks have not met the expectations of the international community, including several heads of state, for meaningful progress towards a mutually-agreeable solution for Tibet.

The most recent round of talks began in September 2002, following a nine-year impasse and lack of formal communications between Beijing and the representatives of the Dalai Lama. Since then, the envoys of the Dalai Lama have met with Chinese officials in China and in Switzerland, and have visited Tibetan areas at the invitation of the Chinese government.

The encouragement that characterized the earlier rounds unfortunately has dissipated in the most recent meetings in 2008. In 2005, the Dalai Lama’s Special Envoy said “it was apparent that both sides had a positive assessment of the ongoing process,” By contrast, by July 2008, he called the talks “difficult” and “disappointing.”