China has lodged strong objection and dissatisfaction with Australia for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the country and meet Prime Minister John Howard.

"Turning a deaf ear to China's representations, the Australian side has allowed the Dalai Lama to visit Australia and to meet with Australian political leaders, including the prime minister. We consider this a rude intervention in China's internal affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Friday.

Qin said the Dalai Lama was not a simple religious figure but a long-time political exile, who has been engaging in secessionist activities and is trying to destroy national unity.

The Chinese government is firmly against any country allowing the Dalai Lama to visit and engage in secessionist activities, he said. "We hope the Australian side will correct its attitude to the Dalai Lama in the interests of overall bilateral relations", Qin said, urging Australia to take effective measures to eliminate the "negative influence" of the Dalai Lama's visit and offer no platform for his "secessionist activities".

A senior scholar on Australia-related issues with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Han Feng, said: "This issue cast a shadow over our bilateral relations when Howard met the Dalai Lama in 1996. The relationship improved after hard work from both sides and Australia should not allow bilateral relations to be stuck on the same issue."

Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she met the Dalai Lama "by chance" on Thursday for 10 minutes in an Australian airport lounge when they were both heading for Sydney.

Clark said she would meet the Dalai Lama again when he visits her country next week.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2007)