TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was invited to share his opinions on the Hong Kong unrest and China's "one country, two systems" proposal at St. Columba's School in New Delhi, India on Wednesday (Nov. 20).

As Hong Kong citizens continue to lose faith in the "one country, two systems" policy posed by the Chinese government, the Dalai Lama said that Tibet had to pay the price as the first region to accept China's offer. He recalled that he spent nine years negotiating with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) but that its armed suppression of Tibet still forced him into exile, reported CNA.

The Dalai Lama said that like Hong Kong, Tibet was promised governmental independence before China decided to break the mutual agreement. Temples were destroyed, and many Tibetans lost their lives in the 1959 uprising against the Chinese army, he recalled.

The 84-year-old monk proceeded to share a conversation he had once had with pro-China former president of Israel Shimon Peres. When discussing the link between socialism and the CCP, the duo agreed that the Chinese government was the "worst kind of capitalist."

To achieve world peace, the religious leader said that one has to learn from his enemies instead of projecting hatred onto them. He stressed that non-violence, mercy, and compassion are key to changing the world for the better, reported UDN.