Wednesday, February 15 2006 17:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: China and envoys of the Dalai Lama are set to begin a new round of secret talks on the vexed Tibet issue, including more autonomy to the remote Himalayan region and the return of the exiled Buddhist leader to his homeland.

The Dalai Lama's envoys Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen arrived in China today (Feb 15 2006) for the fifth round of talks on the Tibet issue, Tibet's Government-in-exile said in a press statement, describing the previous meetings as "candid and serious."

It said the Dalai Lama's envoys received their final instructions from the Tibetan spiritual leader yesterday in Bodh Gaya, where he is on a visit. "His Holiness is pleased that the present round of talks, which began in 2002, is the longest process of continued interaction that we have had with the leadership in Beijing."

"For the last four meetings, the envoys have had very candid and serious discussion with their counterparts in the Chinese leadership," the statement said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also admitted the presence of the Dalai Lama's envoys in the country, but downplayed the visit saying it was in their "private capacities" to have a "clear understanding" on Beijing's policies on the vexed Tibet issue.

"The Chinese government cares for the future of overseas Tibetan compatriots. Since the 1980s, 70,000 overseas Tibetan compatriots returned to China for visit," its spokesman Liu Jianchao said.

"Over recent years, Lodi Gyari and other people have returned to the motherland of China many times to visit their relatives and friends during which they witnessed the development and changes of the motherland and in their hometown and had a clear understanding of the relevant policy of the central government," Liu told sources.

"Recently, Chinese competent authorities again approved their visit to the motherland in their private capacities," the spokesman said, indicating that Beijing is still not ready to publicly acknowledge the existence of the secretive talks on Tibet's future.

The in-camera talks between senior officials from the United Front Work Department and the Dalai Lama's envoys are expected to cover sensitive issues like more autonomy for the Himalayan region and the return of the exiled Buddhist leader to his homeland, analysts said.

Direct talks between the Dalai Lama and Beijing were abruptly cut off in 1993 and were renewed only in 2002. The fourth round and the first-ever talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and Chinese officials outside the country were held in the Swiss capital Berne in July last year.

So far there has been no visible result accruing from the in-camera talks other than the fact that the Dalai Lama's envoys had the chance to meet with their family members in Tibet and get first-hand information on China's economic progress.

China often describes the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner as a 'separatist' engaged in 'splitting' Tibet from rest of the motherland.