China opposes Dalai Lama's Taiwan visit

CNN reports: China "resolutely opposes" a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported today, hours after Taiwan's president announced the visit.

Beijing opposes the visit "in whatever form and capacity," a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said, according to Xinhua, which did not name the spokesman. "Under the pretext of religion, (the Dalai Lama) has all along been engaged in separatist activities," he said.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said earlier Thursday that he had approved a visit by the Dalai Lama to pray for the victims of the typhoon-battered island.

Ma made the announcement Thursday while visiting a school in the southern part of the country, a government spokesman said. The Dalai Lama has accepted the invitation, his spokesman Tenzin Taklha said.

"We are working on the details of his visit, which will take place soon," he said.

The visit of the Dalai Lama to Taiwan seemed certain to anger mainland China, which accuses both the Tibetan spiritual leader and the island nation of separatism.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of advocating for Tibetan independence from China, and considers Taiwan to be a renegade province. Taiwan and the mainland are only now smoothing their relationship after years of animosity.