Dalai Lama holds first meeting with Taiwan President

Wearing a white silk scarf given to him by the Dalai Lama, Chen thanked the Tibetan spiritual leader for visiting Taiwan a second time and for his repeated affirmation of the island's democratic success and its peaceful transfer of power.

Chen also said it was admirable that the Dalai Lama had withstood Beijing's longstanding demand that he recognize Taiwan as a province of China as a precondition for talks on Tibet's future.

Instead, the Taiwan president noted, the Dalai Lama has maintained that the future of the island should be decided by the Taiwanese people themselves.

Still, both leaders steered away from controversial remarks about mainland China, which regards the two men as separatists and has already been highly critical of the Dalai Lama's 10-day visit to the island, his second following a similar trip in 1997.

The Dalai Lama said he remains hopeful for Tibet, given the constant changes in the international arena. He said the thinking of the Chinese leadership should also change.

The Tibetan leader has led a government in exile since he fled to India from his homeland in 1959 after a failed uprising against the Chinese, who continue to accuse him of pursuing independence for Tibet, despite his repeated calls for autonomy.

Beijing also remains distrustful of Chen given his unwillingness to accept the "one-China principle" as a precondition for talks and given the pro-independence stance of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Taiwan and China separated in 1949 following a civil war and Beijing continues to regard the island democracy as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

(bb/dpa)