Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama gestures as he answers questions during a press conference in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, on 5 November 2012. File photo/AFP/Getty Images/Toru Yamanaka

IANS

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday said that since countries cannot survive in isolation in this era of interdependence, Tibet too needs China’s help to develop economically.

“As for Tibet, we have a huge land and a rich culture but we need China’s help to develop economically,” he told reporters in Osaka in Japan.

“I really admire the concept of federation, such as the European Union, where countries are foregoing their sovereign rights to join the union,” the Dalai Lama said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent struggle for Tibet’s autonomy, believes in the “middle path” policy [for working towards] “greater autonomy” for the people of Tibet [as mandated in] the Chinese constitution.

“The Tibetans should be realistic and preserve their rich cultural traditions through genuine autonomy,” he said.