Mongolia will no longer allow the Dalai Lama to visit the country after a recent trip by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader prompted protests from China and a suspension of talks on a major loan.

China's foreign ministry said Wednesday that Beijing "attached importance" to the remarks by Mongolia's top diplomat and hoped the country would "honor the commitment" it has made on the issue. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to split Tibet from China.

Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil expressed regret that the Dalai Lama's visit hurt ties with Beijing, Mongolia's powerful neighbor, in an interview with a local newspaper, Unuudur.

"You can understand that during the full term of this government, the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to visit Mongolia even for religious purposes," he reportedly said. His comments were confirmed by the ministry's press office Wednesday.

The foreign minister's pledge underscores the effectiveness with which China wields its economic leverage over countries it seeks to influence on issues ranging from the Dalai Lama's travels to diplomatic recognition of self-ruled Taiwan.

Mongolia's fragile economy is heavily dependent on China. The countries had been discussing a possible $4.2 billion loan by Beijing to deal with a recession.

But China delayed talks along with visits by Mongolia's deputy prime minister and a group of lawmakers in response to the Dalai Lama's visit.

Munkh-Orgil was quoted as saying that both sides were working to normalize relations and resume talks and that Mongolian lawmakers were able to visit China last week.

Following the visit, China also effectively choked a border crossing with the imposition of new fees and requirements on shipments through a major border point that caused significant delays. Almost 1,000 trucks carrying copper and coal pass through that point every day.

Mongolian Buddhism is closely tied to Tibet's strain and traditionally reveres the Dalai Lama. Mongolian religious figures had said the visit might have been the last for the 81-year-old spiritual leader, and some of his followers traveled hundreds of miles to see him while braving the coldest November temperatures in a decade.

The Dalai Lama has said his visit last month to the landlocked, primarily Buddhist, nation had no political purpose and that he had not publicly advocated independence for Tibet since 1974.</s>After inviting Beijing’s wrath for hosting the Dalai Lama, Mongolia has said it will never again allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country. Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil said the Dalai Lama’s visit to Mongolia will not be allowed in the future even for religious purposes, Xinhua news agency cited a Mongolian daily as saying. The Mongolian reaction was made on Tuesday.

Last month, the Dalai Lama, who China accuses of secessionist activities in Tibet, visited Mongolia and met Buddhist worshippers despite Beijing’s strong objections. Last week, Mongolia said China has closed a key border which affected the movements of trucks. It was seen as a tit-for-tat move by Beijing.

Mongolia had sought India’s help in overcoming the economic crisis caused by the high tariff levied by Beijing on Mongolian trucks. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.</s>Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil on Thursday said the government will not invite exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama to the country again, Reuters reported. His statement follows China’s protest against the Buddhist leader’s visit to Mongolia, which included postponing meetings with Mongolian officials, cancelling flights between the two countries and hiking fees on shipments. Beijing considers the Dalai Lama, who sought refuge in India after a failed uprising in 1959, a separatist leader.

Speaking to local newspaper Unuudur, Munkh-Orgil said, “Under this current government, the Dalai Lama will not be invited to Mongolia, even for religious reasons.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing “attached great importance” to his clear stance.

She said China “hopes the Mongolian side can really learn the lessons from this incident, earnestly respect China’s core interests, and work hard to promote the improvement of China-Mongolia ties.”

The Mongolian government had earlier dismissed reports of any political significance to the Buddhist leader’s visit, while stating that he had been invited by Mongolian Buddhists.

Earlier this month, Beijing expressed displeasure over the Dalai Lama’s presence at a conference held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. China had urged India to denounce the Dalai Lama as a “separatist in religious guise”. In October, China had said the Dalai Lama’s scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh in March 2017 would hamper Sino-Indian relations.</s>The Dalai Lama will not be invited to Mongolia again, the Mongolian foreign minister has said, after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip there last month angered China, which considers him a dangerous separatist. The Dalai Lama is cherished as a spiritual leader in predominantly Buddhist Mongolia but Beijing was infuriated, postponing meetings with Mongolian officials and imposing new fees on commodity shipments.

“Under this current government, the Dalai Lama will not be invited to Mongolia, even for religious reasons,” Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil told the Mongolian newspaper Unuudur on Tuesday.

The Mongolian Foreign Ministry confirmed the comments to Reuters late on Wednesday.

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Asked about the remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China “attached great importance” to his clear stance.

China “hopes the Mongolian side can really learn the lessons from this incident, earnestly respect China’s core interests, abide by its promises and work hard to promote the improvement of China-Mongolia ties”, she said.

Mongolia has previously said that the Dalai Lama’s trip had nothing to do with the government and that he had been invited by Mongolian Buddhists.

While in Mongolia, the Dalai Lama said he would visit US President-elect Donald Trump.

In 2006, China briefly cancelled flights between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar after the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia.

Beijing frequently expresses its anger with countries that host the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against the Chinese.

China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist, although he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, which Communist Chinese troops “peacefully liberated” in 1950.

Rights groups and exiles accuse China of trampling on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people, charges strongly denied by Beijing, which says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward region.</s>ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Mongolia’s foreign minister says the Dalai Lama will no longer be allowed to visit his country after a visit by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader prompted protests from China and a suspension of talks on a major loan.

China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that it “attached importance” to the Mongolian diplomat’s statement and hoped the country would “honor the commitment” it has made on the issue.

On Tuesday, the Mongolian newspaper Unuudur carried remarks by Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil that the Dalai Lama would not be allowed to visit Mongolia even on religious grounds.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to split Tibet from China.

Mongolia’s economy is heavily dependent on China. The countries are discussing a possible $4.2 billion loan by Beijing to deal with a recession.</s>Ulaan Baatar (AsiaNews) – Mongolia’s Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil expressed his country’s regret for hosting the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Under this current government, the Dalai Lama will not be invited to Mongolia, even for religious reasons," Mr Munkh-Orgil told the Mongolian newspaper Unuudur.

Last month, Mongolia hosted the Dalai Lama despite a stern warning from the Chinese government, which sees the spiritual leader as a political enemy and a separatist.

After the visit of the head of Tibetan Buddhism, the Chinese government postponed bilateral meetings with the Mongolian deputy prime minister and imposed heavy economic sanctions on the country.

These sanctions have been a blow to the Mongolian economy, which depends heavily on China, its first trading partner.

Less than two weeks ago, the Indian government offered a billion US dollars to help Mongolia to cope with China’s sanctions.

According to Trading Economics, China receives 89 per cent of Mongolian mineral exports – in particular copper, coal and gold – worth US$ 4.93 billion.

Mongolia had hosted the Dalai Lama before, in 2006, which led China to cancel briefly all flights between Beijing and Ulan Bator.

The Chinese government bears a grudge against every country that welcomes the Nobel Prize recipient and almost always imposes economic sanctions on them.

During his visit to Mongolia, the Dalai Lama announced his intention to visit US President-elect Donald J. Trump.</s>Beijing: Regretting its decisions to allow Dalai Lama to visit the country, Mongolia has promised not to invite him again.

This comes as the recent trip by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader prompted protests from China and a suspension of talks on a major loan.

The implication of Dalai Lama’s visit has gone beyond religion, and bilateral ties between Mongolia and China have been affected, the local media quoted Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil as saying on Tuesday.

A source close to the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Orgil’s statement was an apology to the Chinese government, reports the Global Times.

Mongolia is making efforts to bring bilateral ties back on the right track by restoring dialogue between the two sides, said Munkh-Orgil, adding that his country has resolutely stuck to the one-China policy and acknowledges that Tibet is an inseparable part of China.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, said on Wednesday that China attaches great importance to Mongolia’s clear attitude, adding that Mongolia shall learn a lesson from this Tibet-related affair and respect the core interests of China.

The Mongolian Foreign Minister also said last month the Dalai Lama’s visit was purely religious in nature, and the Mongolian Government had no role in the invitation.</s>The Dalai Lama will no longer be allowed to visit Mongolia, the country's Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil said after the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to the nation drew protests from China and caused suspension in talks of important loans.

The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against the Communist rule. China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and believes that he is set to split the mainland. Hence, it routinely objects to different countries issuing invitation to him.

China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that it "attached importance" to the statements issued by the Mongolian diplomat and highlighted that it hopes Mongolia would "honour the commitment" it has made on the Dalai Lama issue.

On Tuesday, Mongolian newspaper Unuudur had carried remarks by the Foreign Minister stating that the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader will no longer be allowed to visit their country, not even on religious grounds. The decision was taken to make peace with China which was riled after the Dalai Lama's visit to Mongolia.

Mongolia's economy is reportedly heavily dependent on China and it cannot afford to rile China. The nations are reportedly discussing a $4.2 billion loan by China to deal with recession in Mongolia.

China had rebuked Mongolia earlier for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the nation, however, the Mongolian Foreign Ministry said that the government was not involved in arranging his trip and that Mongolian Buddhists had planned the visit, according to Montsame news agency. Reports state that soon after the spiritual leader's visit to the nation in 2006, China had temporarily cancelled all flights between Ulaanbaatar and Beijing.

China had also warned Taiwan in September over a Taiwan legislator's invitation to the Dalai Lama to their nation. The mainland had also told Taiwan that if it allows the visit, the move will impact ties between the countries "severely."

China's response came after high-profile Taiwanese legislator Freddy Lim invited the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to the island. Although Taiwan is self-ruled, China considers the territory its own and is apprehensive that the new government led by President Tsai Ing-wen may permit the Dalai Lama to pay a visit.</s>ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA—Mongolia will no longer allow the Dalai Lama to visit the country after a recent trip by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader prompted protests from China and a suspension of talks on a major loan.China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that Beijing “attached importance” to the remarks by Mongolia’s top diplomat and hoped the country would “honour the commitment” it has made on the issue. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to split Tibet from China.Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil expressed regret that the Dalai Lama’s visit hurt ties with Beijing, Mongolia’s powerful neighbour, in an interview with a local newspaper, Unuudur.“You can understand that during the full term of this government, the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to visit Mongolia even for religious purposes,” he reportedly said. His comments were confirmed by the ministry’s press office Wednesday.The foreign minister’s pledge underscores the effectiveness with which China wields its economic leverage over countries it seeks to influence on issues ranging from the Dalai Lama’s travels to diplomatic recognition of self-ruled Taiwan.Article Continued BelowMongolia’s fragile economy is heavily dependent on China. The countries had been discussing a possible $4.2 billion (U.S.) loan by Beijing to deal with a recession.But China delayed talks along with visits by Mongolia’s deputy prime minister and a group of lawmakers in response to the Dalai Lama’s visit.Munkh-Orgil was quoted as saying that both sides were working to normalize relations and resume talks and that Mongolian lawmakers were able to visit China last week.</s>The Dalai Lama will no longer be allowed to visit Mongolia, a mainly Buddhist nation with deep historical ties to Tibet, after his arrival in the country last month sparked anger from China.

Beijing welcomed the announcement from Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil, who indicated an extensive ban would apply to the Tibetan spiritual leader. "You can understand that during the full term of this government, the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to visit Mongolia even for religious purposes," he reportedly said.

He had previously insisted that the visit was purely religious and was not connected with the government.

In an interview with local media, the Mongolian official appeared to express regret that the visit had hurt ties with China. The Mongolian economy is heavily reliant on China, which frequently criticises countries that give the Dalai Lama a platform to speak.

In the wake of the four-day visit, Beijing suspended bilateral meetings with the landlocked nation and said it had "harmed the political foundations of China-Mongolian relations and caused a negative impact on the development of the bilateral relations."

China hit back by imposing fresh tariffs on commodity shipments from its northern neighbour and closed the Gants Mod border crossing, where nearly 1,000 trucks transporting copper and coal pass through on a daily basis. The two countries had also been discussing a potential $4.2bn (£3.39bn) loan to help Mongolia cope with a recession.

Following the U-turn from Ulaanbaatar, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying said: "We hope that the Mongolian side can draw lessons from this, respect China's core interests, honour its commitment and make efforts to improve China-Mongolian relations."

Xinhua, China's official news agency, describes the Dalai Lama as "a political exile with ambitions to split Tibet from Chinese territory under the cloak of religion". It also noted that Beijing had "voiced strong dissatisfaction" at the visit.
Mongolia bans the 14th Dalai Lama from leisure in the country after China cancels a Mongolian loan.