Athens - Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to arrive in Athens on Monday for an official three-day visit.

The Chinese president's trip to Greece follows a regional tour of South America, Central America and Cuba where he sealed trade and investment deals with Costa Rica, Cuba and Peru.

China told the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Lima, Peru over the past weekend that his government wants to help shore up worldwide growth and reform global financial rules.

Dharamshala, Nov 23 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sunday said that he is not planning to retire, quashing speculation about the future of the
73-year-old leader.

Speculation had been growing that the Nobel Prize winner, who fled into exile in 1959 after an unsuccessful uprising in Tibet, will have to play a less forceful political role in future, especially if his health begins to fail.

While addressing a news conference on Sunday at Dharamsala, seat of Tibetan government in exile, in Himachal Pradesh, after a meeting of hundreds of Tibetans this week, Dalai Lama said, till his death he is committed to the Tibetan cause.

Dharamsala, Nov 23 : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama expressed hope of returning to homeland Tibet.

Addressing a news conference on Sunday at Dharamsala, seat of Tibetan government-in-exile, in Himachal Pradesh, Dalai Lama said, he had strong faith of returning to Tibet one day.

“I have strong faith, one day we can return to our own land,” said Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama''s statement comes a day after a meeting of hundreds of Tibetans this week, to chart a course after eight rounds of official talks.

The meeting also reaffirmed the Tibetan people''s faith and allegiance in the Dalai Lama.

Taipei  - China-based Taiwanese firms have beeb hit hard by the global financial turmoil with those operating in the Chinese southern city of Dongguan suffering the worst, a report said Sunday.

Due to slumping exports resulting from the global downturn and financial turmoil, two-thirds of Taiwanese textile companies have suffered huge losses, while close to 1,000 footwear firms have shut down, the United Evening News said in a report.

Dongguan is a major base of Taiwanese investments in traditional industries, including textiles, footwear and umbrellas.

New Delhi - Tibetan exiles ended a meeting in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala on Saturday, agreeing that a tougher stand should be taken in negotiations with China, officials and delegates attending the meeting said.

A little over 600 Tibetan exiles attended the six-day meeting in Dharamsala, which saw intense discussions on whether there should be a shift of policy to advocate independence. Many representatives of the younger generation advocate such a move.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, had called for the special meeting after admitting in October that his "middle way'" policy of securing greater autonomy for Tibetans within China had failed.