China opposes any country allowing Dalai Lama to visit, says foreign ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) -China firmly opposes any country allowing the Dalai Lama to make visits under any pretext, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Senior officials from the U.S. State Department and the White House met with the Dalai Lama in New York on Wednesday and "reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans," the State Department said.

The meeting with the 89-year-old exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism was expected to roil China, which considers him a dangerous separatist and opposes contact with him by officials of any country.

"China has made solemn protests with the U.S.", said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press briefing. "We don't allow the Dalai Lama to engage in political separatist activities in the U.S."

Last month, China expressed strong opposition to a U.S. law signed by President Joe Biden that presses Beijing to resolve a dispute over Tibet's demands for greater autonomy, and vowed to "firmly defend" its interests.

The Chinese foreign ministry said the "appointment of a so-called special coordinator of Tibetan issues constitutes interference in internal affairs."

(Reporting by Colleen Howe; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Bernadette Baum)