 China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a troublemaker |
China has warned that ties with the US would be undermined if US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama.
The US has indicated that Mr Obama intends to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader in Washington later this month, but no date has been confirmed.
Communist Party official Zhu Weiqun said such a meeting would "threaten trust and co-operation" between Beijing and Washington.
The dispute is the latest of several strains on the countries' relations.
"If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and co-operation between China and the United States," said Mr Zhu, executive deputy minister of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
He said that if a meeting did take place, China would "take corresponding action to make relevant countries see their mistakes".
"We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse," he said.
"If they [the US] don't recognise that Tibet is part of China, it will seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations."
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
'Baseless accusations'
Mr Zhu was speaking at a press conference to discuss the recent five-day visit to China by the Dalai Lama's representatives.
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It was the ninth time the two sides have met since 2002, but Mr Zhu said the positions of both sides remained "sharply divided" - a situation which had "become a norm rather than an exception".
According to China, at this latest round of meetings the Tibetans again reiterated their hopes for the introduction of greater autonomy in the Himalayan region.
But Mr Zhu said there was no possibility of the "slightest compromise" on the issue of sovereignty in Tibet.
He also attacked the Dalai Lama, whom he said was a troublemaker.
"He should make a thorough self-examination of his words and deeds and radically correct his political positions if he really expects results of contact and talks," he said.
A spokesman for the Dalai Lama called on the Chinese to "stop the baseless accusations" against the leader.
Kasur Lodi Gyarit urged Beijing to work with the Dalai Lama in order to "ensure stability, unity and the development of a harmonious society".
Well-rehearsed
The row over the Dalai Lama's visit has added to an increasingly tense relationship between China and the US in recent months.
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On Monday Beijing accused the US of "arrogance" and "double standards" after Washington announced it was selling military equipment worth $6.4bn (£4bn) to Taiwan.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the arms deal would damage both countries' interests and would "unavoidably affect China-US co-operation on important international and regional issues".
He repeated Beijing's threats to impose sanctions on US companies involved in the sale, including aerospace giant Boeing, which dominates China's airline market.
But the BBC's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says that while the Chinese reaction was strong, it was well-rehearsed and within bounds.
If Washington ever sold clearly offensive weapons to Taiwan - such as cruise or ballistic missiles - China would be seriously angered, but this sale is only of defensive weaponry.
Taiwan has long been an issue of contention between China and the US. The island has been ruled by a separate government from China since the end of the civil war in 1949, but China still considers it to be part of its territory.
The talks between China and the Tibetans in exile, based in Dharamsala in India, follow an important conference held last month by Chinese leaders to review their Tibet policies.
The meeting established China's goal of bringing about "leap-forward development" and long-term security in the region, which saw major unrest in March 2008.
Despite riots and demonstrations directed against Chinese rule, Beijing believes its policies in Tibet are correct.
"The conference especially demonstrated the brilliant achievements in Tibet in the new century," said Mr Zhu.
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