Beijing: Chinese state-controlled media has praised Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard for refusing to meet Tibetian spiritual leader Dalai Lama, according to a report.
Liu Huaxin, a committee member of international development at the People`s Daily, a mouthpiece newspaper for the ruling Communist party, said that Gillard`s decision to snub the Dalai Lama has been "acclaimed" by China.
He also took the rare step of displaying a photograph of the Dalai Lama, whose image is almost never seen in China.
The image showed the spiritual leader alongside a separate picture of Gillard with an illustrated speech bubble saying "No,” The Age reports.
Huaxin, however, warned during an officially sponsored media workshop that Australia`s enhanced military ties to the US sent confusing signals to Chinese people, the paper said.
He said through a translator there was a view Australia was ‘tied up to the chariot of the US and it was easy to get on, but more difficult to get off.’
According to the paper, Huaxin realed off a litany of complaints about Australia`s attitudes to China.
He pointed to the decision to base 2500 US marines near Darwin, recent speculation about a secret chapter on war with China in Australia`s 2009 military blueprint, banning Chinese company Huawei from investing in the National Broadband Network and plans for American surveilance drones take off from the Australian Indian ocean territory of Cocos Islands.
Huaxin, however, clarified his remarks, saying he was reflecting general public perceptions, not official policy.
ANI
