The Dalai Lama has declared himself a fan of the man China calls 'Buddha's serpent' - Governor Chris Patten.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader praised Mr Patten as a man of principle who was prepared to stand up to China while others made the mistake of being 'over-cautious'.
The Dalai Lama is no stranger to Beijing's name-calling himself, having been labelled a 'splittist', a 'traitor' and a 'wolf in monk's clothing'.
But at his home in exile in Dharamsala, he said world leaders should not be afraid of Beijing's belligerent rheto-ric.
'I really admire Chris Patten,' the Dalai Lama said. 'I think he stands for freedom and democracy. It is a principled stand.' The Nobel Prize winner's comments are unlikely to win him any new friends in Beijing which has stepped up its campaign to eradicate his influence by enforcing a ban on displaying his picture in Tibet and putting pressure on foreign governments not to entertain him.
But Mr Patten said he was flattered by the praise.