Might the Dalai Lama soon be returning to Tibet for the first time in more than fifty years? “It’s not finalized, not yet, but the idea is there,” he said in an interview with Agence France Presse. “Not formally or seriously, but informally… I express, this is my desire.”
The tentative plans come after weeks of speculation in the media that China is warming up to the Dalai Lama.
Last month, a popular Chinese website posted an article about the Dalai Lama which speculated on a visit “in positive terms,” according to the Times of India. The post was quickly taken down, but the sentiment was echoed by numerous Chinese officials.
There are still significant challenges in the relationship. See our post on the Nobel meeting that was cancelled earlier this week after China tried to restrict the Dalai Lama from attending.
Yesterday, The Washington Post broke down all the speculation, examining the relationship between the Dalai Lama and the president of China, the role of the Hong Kong protests, Chinese development in Tibet, and the government’s jurisdiction over who succeeds the Dalai Lama.
