Tibet will keep to its own path with or without the Dalai Lama, a Chinese official said Tuesday when responding to questions on what will become of the region after the Dalai Lama's death.

"Chinese people, including Tibetans, will decide the future of Tibet," said Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a press conference in Beijing.

Asked if the central government would find a solution to the Tibet issue more difficult after the Dalai Lama's death, Zhu replied, "It is not polite in China to talk about the possibility of a 75-year-old man passing away. We hope he can live a long life."

The central government hoped the Dalai Lama, 75, could settle the problems concerning his own prospects while still alive and would not pass away abroad, he said.

Officials with central authorities met with the Dalai Lama's private representatives, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, last week in China, more than a year after the Dalai Lama side declared an end to contacts and talks following a meeting in November 2008.

The Dalai Lama's private representatives were in China from Jan. 26 to 31, during which period Du Qinglin, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with them. Zhu, UFWD Vice Minister Sita and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet regional People's Congress Nyima Cering held talks with them.

The two sides had "sharply divided" views in the latest talks "as usual," Zhu said.

The central government wanted the Dalai Lama to abandon his stand to "split the motherland, cease separatist activities, openly admit that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China," and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legal government representing China, he said.

In a statement issued Monday, Du said the Dalai Lama should reflect on his own words and deeds and correct his political arguments.

Issues concerning China's territory and sovereignty were non-negotiable and no concessions would be made on those issues, Du said in the statement.

The so-called "Greater Tibet" and "high-level autonomy" violated China's Constitution and only if the Dalai Lama completely abandoned such claims, could there be a foundation for contacts and talks, he said.

Du said the Dalai Lama and his supporters should desist from activities against China and the activities of infiltration and provocation in Tibet.

However, the Dalai Lama's private representatives refused to "revise a single word" in the "Memorandum for All Tibetans to Enjoy Genuine Autonomy," which they presented at the previous talks, nor to make any concession, Zhu said.

Since the previous talks in November 2008, the Dalai Lama's followers continued to openly collude with separatist forces to attack the central government and the CPC, he said.

Some 10,000 followers of the Dalai Lama staged harassing and wrecking activities in front of more than 40 Chinese foreign missions last year.

With his frequent international activities to seek foreign support, the Dalai Lama "has already played the role of a troublemaker, which will make the Chinese people feel antipathy toward him and will create obstacles to contact and talks," he said.

When commenting on the possible meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama, Zhu warned of serious damage to the political foundations for Sino-U.S. relations.

At another press conference Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu also expressed "strong" opposition against any meeting between foreign politicians and the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama should realize that some foreign forces, which supported him, may not help him, but trap him, Zhu said.

"Since the armed rebellion in 1959, what did the Dalai Lama get except that he was pushed further and further away from the journey home?"

He suggested that his followers should ponder what they should do when the Dalai Lama departed this life.

Asked to comment on whether there would be an upsurge of violence and terrorist activities after the death of the Dalai Lama, Zhu said he believed most Tibetans living abroad loved peace and would like to contact their family and friends in Tibet and be engaged in Tibet's development.

It could not be ruled out that a few people would turn to violence, but history had showed that violence and terrorist activities would inevitably end in failure, he said.

The talks with the Dalai Lama's private representatives "had some upside" as they let both sides know exactly their differences and how wide the differences were, Zhu said.

The central government wanted to "give the Dalai Lama a chance to correct his mistakes" through such talks, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2010)