China's central gov't officials meet with Dalai Lama's private respresentatives

SHENZHEN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese central government officials met with private representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama in Shenzhen on Sunday, official sources told Xinhua.

The contact and consultation was held between Zhu Weiqun and Sitar (who uses only one name), two officials with relevant department of the central government, and the Dalai Lama's two private representatives, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen.

The meeting was arranged at the repeated requests made by the Dalai side for contacts and consultations with the central government, the sources said.

The representatives arrived in the southern China city on Saturday.

During the meeting, Zhu and Sitar pointed out that the riot in Lhasa on March 14 had given rise to new obstacles for further contacts and consultations with the Dalai side.

However, the central government still arranged this meeting with great patience and sincerity, they said.

The central government hoped that to create conditions for the next round of contact and consultation, the Dalai side would take credible moves to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games, the officials said.