BEIJING — China accused the Dalai Lama of allying with Japanese right-wingers in an island dispute as a way of attacking China and blamed him for glorifying a wave of self-immolations among Tibetans.
The comments were made as state media reported two more Tibetans died after setting themselves on fire.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the Dalai Lama's comments in Japan on the island dispute showed his “reactionary nature” and determination to split China under the guise of religion.
“To achieve his separatist goal, he associated with the Japanese right-wing forces. Chinese people despise him for what he did. We are firmly opposed to any country's providing a stage for him,” Hong said.
Chinese media have said the Dalai Lama called the islands by their Japanese name at a news conference in Yokohama on Nov. 5, but an Associated Press review of a tape of the event showed he referred to them only as “the islands.”
On Monday in Okinawa, the Dalai Lama criticized Chinese media for making up a claim that he sided with the Japanese.
Tensions have run high over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, since the Japanese government nationalized some of them in September in a bid to prevent Tokyo's right-wing governor from buying them.
Violent anti-Japanese protests broke out in Chinese cities, and Beijing has sent ships to conduct near-constant patrols near the uninhabited rocks.
