The World - News from July 6, 1988

The Dalai Lama, the self-exiled god-king of Tibet, said he is willing to visit the Chinese capital of Beijing to discuss limited self-rule in his Himalayan homeland. Last month, the spiritual leader of 6 million Tibetan Buddhists agreed for the first time to share power with the Chinese, who have occupied Tibet since 1951. In a speech to the European Parliament, he proposed that Tibet become a “self-governing democratic entity” with Beijing responsible for foreign affairs and, for a limited time, defense. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, immediately rejected that plan.