Beijing and the Dalai Lama have stepped up their war of words on the eve of a sensitive anniversary.
In a further sign that a recent round of dialogue between the two sides has made little progress, the Foreign Ministry and mainland media hit back yesterday at remarks made by the Dalai Lama on the 51st anniversary of his exile to India.
To commemorate the failed uprising in 1959 that led to his exile to Dharamsala, the Tibetan spiritual leader said on Wednesday that China intended to 'annihilate Buddhism' and that monks and nuns in Tibet lived in 'prison-like' conditions.
Sunday marks the second anniversary of bloody rioting that began in Lhasa and later spread to other Tibetan-populated areas.
The Dalai Lama also referred to Xinjiang , another restive border region, as East Turkestan, a term only used by pro-independent exiles.
The Foreign Ministry said his remarks had distorted the situation in Tibet and insulted Beijing's policies in the Himalayan region.
'This exposes and proves his intent and nature on splitting up China and wrecking ethnic unity,' said Qin Gang , a ministry spokesman.