Zhu Weiqun, vice-minister of the Communist party’s United Front Work Department, has clearly stated that China had no interest in engaging with the Dalai Lama’s call for “genuine autonomy” for Tibetans, terming it as an attempt to promote “ethnic splitting.”

Branding the Dalai Lama a would-be ethnic cleanser, the senior Communist party official denounced the Himalayan region’s exiled spiritual leader as a scheming “splittist.” Zhu said the Dalai Lama’s representatives were to blame for the failure last week of the latest talks between the two sides.

It is alleged that in the previous talks, the Dalai Lama’s representatives did not seriously reflect on fundamental issues, noting the fact that “the political foundation of contacts and talks with them is that Tibet is an inalienable part of China, and the People’s Republic of China is the country's only legal government.”

Zhu said: “We merely talked about how the Dalai Lama should completely give up his splittist opinions and actions and strive for the understanding of the central authorities and all Chinese people so as to solve the issue concerning his own prospects. If he really were to gain power one day, he would without compunction or sympathy carry out ethnic discrimination, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.”

Zhu’s comments will fuel frustration among exiled Tibetans before a potentially pivotal gathering of leading members of the diaspora in India this month.