Dharamshala, Apr 18 : Tibetans-in-exile government called for a dialogue with China on Friday to resolve the Tibetan issue.

Addressing a news conference in Dharamshala, Samdong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in exile, said that a dialogue with China was necessary for resolving the long pending Tibetan issue.

Tibet has been a part of China, ever since it was annexed in 1959.

Referring to the spate of protests and the exchanges between Chinese leaders and the Tibetans, he said that dialogue with China is crucial for a resolution of the issue.

"Dialogues are always fruitful under any circumstances. Even if two people are fighting with each other, in that circumstance also dialogue can help bring some change in the situation so we believe that dialogue is useful in good, bad, worse condition everywhere dialogue must be maintained," said Rinpoche.

The Tibetan in exile have been staging a wave of protests across the country and especially in New Delhi and in Dharamsala, home of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama has been campaigning for greater autonomy for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama set up his seat of power in Dharamsala after he and his followers had fled to India in 1959, following a failed uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Beijing established direct contacts with the Dalai Lama in 1979, but the dialogue was suspended in 1993.

An estimated 13,40,00 Tibetans live in exile, a majority of them in India and Nepal. (ANI)