Dalai Lama visit will hit Sino-Indian border issue: Chinese media

It highlighted Lama's change in stance over India's 'sovereignty' over Arunachal Pradesh

The Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims to be southern Tibet, will complicate the Sino-Indian border row, a Chinese commentator warned on Wednesday.

In an op-ed piece in China Daily, Xi Rao, a Beijing-based expert on international studies, said the Dalai Lama was only causing "trouble ... for the settlement of China-India border issues, regional peace".

The commentary noted how the Dalai Lama, who fled to India from Tibet in 1959, had changed his views on Arunachal Pradesh over the years.

"Even after fleeing to India in 1959, the Dalai Lama did not promote India's 'sovereignty' over Southern Tibet (Arunachal Pradesh) at first. Yet, that gradually changed."

It accused the Dalai Lama of wanting to "give away" Tawang district, "the holy land of China's Tibet where the sixth Dalai Lama was born, in exchange for India's support for the survival of his separatist group.

"His trip is testimony to his betrayal of himself, the people, the country as well as regional peace."

The commentary claimed that people living in Arunachal Pradesh "live difficult lives, face various kinds of discrimination and look forward to returning to China".