Source: Canada.com

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=28e6ff42-5e0e-4287-b47c-30d103557734

On April 8, 2004 Canada.com posted a CanWest News Service article that reported, "China has issued a stern warning to Paul Martin about whether he should meet with the Dalai Lama this month in Ottawa: Do not even think about it if you value good trade relations with China. 'On this we are very clear-cut -- that we are opposed to any foreign government officials to meet with him. Because, you know, the Dalai Lama is neither a political figure nor a religious figure. He's just somebody involved with separating China,' said a senior official with the Chinese embassy in Ottawa...The Chinese embassy later followed up the interview with a faxed statement that reiterated China's desire that the Prime Minister, or any government officials, not meet with the Dalai Lama 'in any capacity and in any form, so as not to upset or damage the bilateral relations' between China and Canada. The statement urges the government to forbid the Dalai Lama from entering Canada. Mr. Martin has yet to decide whether he will meet the Dalai Lama later this month when the exiled Tibetan monk and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner spends three days in Ottawa as part of a two-week Canadian tour."