Speaker of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan says ‘will welcome the Dalai Lama’

Tibetan Parliament Speaker Penpa Tsering (4th R) and DIIR Secretary Tashi Phuntsok (3rd R) during their meeting with Taiwanese Parliament Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng (5th R) and members of Taiwanese parliament in Taipei on April 30, 2013. DHARAMSHALA, May 2: Speaker of the Taiwanese parliament, the Legislative Yuan, has said he will welcome the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan for the spiritual benefit of the Taiwanese people. Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng made the remarks while receiving Speaker Penpa Tsering of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Secretary Tashi Phuntsok of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration in the Taiwanese Parliament’s reception hall on April 30. Members of the Taiwanese Parliament were also present at the reception. According to a report on CTA’s official website, Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng “recounted fond memories of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s earlier visit to Taiwan when he addressed the Parliament and gave public teachings” and stressed on the need to enhance contacts between Taiwan and the Tibetan people. In his remarks, Speaker Tsering expressed his gratitude for Taiwan’s support for the Tibetan people and hoped for the development of good relations between Taiwan and Tibetans in exile. Taiwanese parliamentarians were later briefed on the issue of Tibet by the Speaker and DIIR Secretary. Speaker Tsering, who is currently on an official tour of Taiwan, earlier participated in an international conference on China’s leadership transition and democracy held in Taipei from April 27 – 30. Over 80 participants from East Turkestan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Macau, and China attended the conference. As requested by the organisers, the Dalai Lama sent a message to the conference. In his remarks, Speaker Tsering spoke on the threats facing the survival of Tibet and the Tibetan people under Chinese rule, while DIIR Secretary Phuntsok briefed the audience on the efforts being made by the exile Tibetan administration to resolve the issue of Tibet. The Tibetan officials from Dharamshala also held a meeting with a group of conference attendees from mainland China. According to the CTA, during the four-hour meeting, they “discussed and agreed on steps to raise the Chinese people’s awareness and understanding about the issue of Tibet.”