Dalai Lama willing to visit TaiwanBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNAThe Dalai Lama on Wednesday said he is willing to visit Taiwan again whenever possible, adding that he hopes Taiwan could change China “through the power of democracy and freedom.”The Tibetan spiritual leader made the remarks at his residence in Dharamsala, India, while meeting members of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Delhi. The Dalai Lama, center, watches a dance performed by Tibetan artists at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, on Sept. 7. Asked whether he would visit Taiwan again, the Dalai Lama said he would visit whenever convenient once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. When he was asked during a news conference in November last year about visiting Taiwan, the Dalai Lama said he had no plans to do so because Taiwan-China relations were “quite delicate” and he did not want to “cause local political difficulties.”Although the discussion on Wednesday mostly covered religious topics, the Dalai Lama also praised Taiwan’s democracy and rule of law. On the topic of Tibet’s future, he said that he no longer seeks political independence, but instead “genuine autonomy” within China’s framework to preserve Tibetan religion, culture and ethnic identity.

Source: Taipei Times December 16, 2022 17:12 UTC