By DPA,
Brussels : China has postponed a summit with the European Union (EU) planned for Monday in protest at a visit of the Dalai Lama to Europe, diplomats in Brussels said Wednesday.
The Chinese government has asked for the summit to be put back because the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is set to meet a number of European leaders at a gathering of Nobel Peace Prize winners called by the founder of Poland’s Solidarity trade union, Lech Walesa, an EU statement said.
The EU had “set ambitious objectives” for the summit, planned at the French city of Lyon, and “regrets” the Chinese decision, the statement said.
The 27-member bloc “intends to continue promoting its strategic partnership with China, especially in a moment when the global financial and economic situation calls for very close cooperation between Europe and China,” the statement said.