TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuter) - The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled god-king, says his planned visit to Taiwan proves he no longer seeks independence for his homeland as alleged by China's communist leaders, a Taipei newspaper reported Monday.
``My trip to Taiwan clearly proves that I have abondoned the position of Tibet independence,'' the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying in an interview with the United Daily News.
``Because Taiwan recognizes Tibet as part of China, my visit to Taiwan indicates my agreement with that position. I am not asking for Tibet independence. This point is also very obvious,'' he told the newspaper from his office in India. He reiterated that he was ready to enter a ``peace dialogue'' with China's authorities at any time.
Beijing regularly assails the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, as a ``splittist'' seeking to divide Tibet from China and accuses governments that allow him to visit of meddling in China's internal affairs.
His expected March visit to Taiwan is likely to be provocative for Beijing, which also paints Taiwan's Nationalist leaders as ``splittists'' who secretly advocate Taiwan's formal independence from China despite their public vows of support for eventual reunification with the mainland.
Taiwan and China have been rivals since the Nationalist government lost a civil war to the communists and took refuge on the island in 1949.
But like its communist rival, Taiwan's exiled Republic of China government regards Tibet as an inalienable part of China and opposes its secession as an independent state.
The Dalai Lama described his Taiwan visit as a ``purely religious trip'' and said he would like to stay for one or two weeks.
His Taiwan host, the private Chinese Buddhist Association, said the he would steer clear of the Nationalist government.