Dalai Lama's visit damaged ties with India: China

China on 5 April said that it will lodge a diplomatic protest to India for obstinately allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the "disputed" Arunachal Pradesh. The country asserted that this has caused "serious damage" to bilateral ties.

"India in disregard to China's concerns obstinately arranged the Dalai Lama's visit to the disputed part of the eastern part of China-India border causing serious damage to China's interests and China-India relations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters.

Chinese firmly opposes this move and will lodge representations with the Indian side, she said.

Chinese media also sang the same tune and said that India has challenged "Beijing's bottom line."

Meanwhile, India has accused China of creating an artificial controversy over the Dalai Lama's visit.

"Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India, and China should not object to his visit and interfere in India's internal affairs," said minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju.

The 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader reached Bomdila in West Kameng district on 4 April to start his nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

China claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet and had previously warned that if India allowed the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh it would cause "serious damage" to ties.

- -With PTI inputs