His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso will this month pay a visit to Wrocław in south-western Poland in a move which may have repercussions for Polish-Chinese relations.
The Dalai Lama was granted honorary citizenship of the Silesian city when he visited in 2008, as recognition for his struggle against political repression. This time he will deliver a lecture on September 22 at 2 pm in Hala Stulecia – tickets have not yet been made available.
Rzeczpospolita meanwhile suggests that the Dalai Lama's visit may put a “heavy chill” on Polish-Chinese relations, which have been in the spotlight of late in the wake of Poland's success at Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
Poland's pavilion at Expo has proven a big hit with the Chinese, attracting over five million visitors since opening on May 1.
Wrocław's high-profile guest was born on July 6, 1935 in northeastern Tibet. He was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in November 1950, becoming head of state and leader of the Tibetan Buddhists.
He fled Tibet however after the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule and subsequently established a government-in-exile and traversed the globe lobbying for Tibetan autonomy.
As a result China has described him as a “Wolf in monk's clothing. A Devil with a face of a human but the heart of a beast,” and reacts with consternation whenever he meets with world leaders.
From Warsaw Business Journal by Gareth Price
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