Berlin  - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed Beijing's offer to meet representatives of the Dalai Lama, expressing the wish that this will lead to a successful Olympic Games, in remarks released Saturday.

Merkel told the Sunday edition of the mass-circulation Bild newspaper that she hoped the Chinese move would "open the way to a peaceful and successful holding of the Olympic Games."

Merkel's private meeting with the Tibetan leader in September led to a chill in relations between Berlin and Beijing that ended only in January after intense German diplomatic efforts.

The Dalai Lama, who has a strong following in Germany, is due to visit again in mid-May, making a series of addresses with human rights a central theme.

China's crackdown on Tibetan and other protestors ahead of the August Beijing Olympics has provoked international protest. (dpa)