New York: Reiterating that he was for "meaningful autonomy" and not independence for Tibet, the Dalai Lama said he would welcome China's offer to meet his representatives in the wake of international pressure that followed anti-Beijing riots in the 'roof the world'. In a statement issued on Thursday from New York, the Dalai Lama said he supported talks.

"The best way forward is to resolve the issues between the Tibetans and the Chinese leadership through dialogue, as I have been advocating for a long time," he was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

"I have repeatedly assured the leadership of the People's Republic of China that I am not seeking independence. What I am seeking is a meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people that would ensure the long-term survival of our Buddhist culture, our language and our distinct identity as a people," the spiritual leader of the 600,000 Tibetans added.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency, quoting an unnamed official, reported on Friday that "in view of the requests repeatedly made by the Dalai side for resuming talks, the relevant department of the Central government will have contact and consultation with Dalai's private representative in the coming days."

China has been under intense international pressure-including from the US and India to resume dialogue with the the Dalai Lama. Word of the talks is the first sign of détente since the protests started last month in Tibet were stamped down by authorities, and the standoff turned the Olympic Torch relay into a battle between supporters of Tibet and China as it travelled around the world.

Word of the talks was apparently news to the Dalai Lama. "We have no information about any meeting with the Chinese," said Tempa Tsering, the Dalai Lama's representative in New Delhi. He added that the Dalai Lama was on his way back to India from a trip to the US, said the Journal.

Beijing and representatives of the Tibetan government in exile have held six rounds of talks between 2002 and 2007. These were deadlocked over the definition of Tibet, which Beijing sees as a strategic territory it calls the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Source : IABNS