DAILYTIMES (May 13th) Chinese Central Government officials and the private representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama met in Shenzhen, China on May 4th, which was arranged at the repeated requests made by the Dalai side for resuming talks. During the meeting, the officials pointed out that the riot in Lhasa on March 14 had given rise to new obstacles for resuming contacts and consultations with the Dalai side. However, the central government still arranged this meeting with great patience and sincerity. Earlier on the same day, President Hu Jintao said in Beijing he hoped the Shenzhen meeting between central government officials and the Dalai Lama's private representatives could yield "positive results". "Our policy toward the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent, and the door for dialogue remains open," "On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese government and people will never yield to any pressure from outside." President Hu explained the core of the China's Central Government's attitude to Dalai and Tibet.

The Lhasa riot, which was against people's will, had jeopardized the fundamental interests of all the Chinese people including Tibetans and caused great public indignation and strong condemnation by people from various walks of life. It was completely correct for the local government to take actions in accordance with the law to maintain social stability and to safeguard the country's legal system and the peoples essential interest. As the Lhasa riot had been put down, social order was being restored. Religious followers there were enjoying full freedom of religious belief, and the people were yearning for stability and development.

Since the year 2000, the central government had managed to hold six meetings with the Dalai Lama's private representatives in spite of a number of obstacles. It was the long hope of the central government that to create conditions for further contacts and consultations, the Dalai side would be as good as their words and take credible moves to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games.

The policy of the Chinese Government towards Dalai is a consistent one. We have maintained contact with great patience. Our door to dialogue with Dalai was open in the past and is still open now. The problem is, Dalai has chosen violence instead of dialogue. However, if Dalai changes his mind, stops separatist activities aimed at splitting China, particularly his current activities of instigating and plotting violent crimes in Tibet and other places of China and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games, we will continue contact and talks with him. The facts showed that the guiding policies of the central government on Tibet were correct. Through the concerted efforts of people from all ethnic groups, Tibet would have an even better future.

Before the democratic reform in 1959, the old Tibet was a feudal serfdom that practiced theocracy under the dictatorship of monks and nobles. The Dalai family owned over 6,000 serfs. Serfdom in old Tibet was no less dark, backward, barbarous and cruel than that in Medieval Europe. Under serfdom, the economy in Tibet was stagnant, the average life expectancy was only 35.5 years and over 90% of the population was illiterate. Dalai, as the biggest serf owner and theocracy ruler, was undoubtedly responsible for this. The purpose of the Dalai clique to plot the recent incident in Lhasa is to sabotage the sound economic and social development in Tibet, achieve Tibet independence, return Tibet to the dark and backward theocracy and feudal serfdom and restore Dalai's position and privileges as the head of serf owners.

Since 1959, thanks to the support of the Central Government and people across China, Tibet has achieved economic growth and social stability. People in Tibet today live a much better life and enjoy extensive human rights. According to the latest census conducted in 2006, the population of Tibetans rose to more than 2.41 million from 1.2 million in 1964 and accounted for 92 percent of the total in the region. The central government has allocated more than 700 million yuan(nearly 1 million U.S. dollars) since 1980 to maintain 1,400 monasteries and cultural relics. Tibet has more than 1,700 religious sites for Tibetan Buddhism that accommodates 46,000 monks and nuns. Also included are four mosques for 3,000 Muslims as well as one Catholic Church for 700 believers.

Since 2003, the state has invested RMB 60.158 billion in infrastructure development in Tibet. GDP of the region has registered an average growth rate of above 12%, with per capita GDP topping RMB 10,000. In 2006, the Tibet Autonomous Region had more than 35,000 deputies to people's congresses at various levels, over 1,000 schools with more than 500,000 students, and 1,378 hospitals and clinics. The average life expectancy has increased to 67 years. All in all, Tibet has never enjoyed such good development as it does today and the prospects for the future are very bright.