China postpones summit over Dalai Lama, EU says

PARIS - China has postponed an annual summit with the European Union originally scheduled for next Monday, the Europeans said in a statement yesterday. The Chinese were evidently angered by a new visit to several European countries by the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

"The European Union, which set ambitious aims for the 11th European Union-China summit, takes note and regrets this decision by China," the statement said. According to the Europeans, the Chinese "said their decision was due to the fact that the Dalai Lama will at the same time undertake a new visit in several countries of the union and will meet on this occasion heads of state and government."

One of those leaders is French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who intends to meet the Dalai Lama in Poland in December at a ceremony honoring Lech Walesa, the anti-Communist leader of Solidarity and later Polish president. France holds the presidency of the European Union until the end of the year, so the Chinese postponement is thought to be aimed at France more than at the other nations of the union.