(BEIJING) - China said Wednesday it opposed a demand from the United States and the European Union to hold "results-oriented" talks with the Dalai Lama and accused them of double standards on human rights.

"The Chinese side opposes the joint declaration of the EU-US summit on the issue of Tibet," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement on the ministry's website.

"Tibet is an inseparable part of China and... the dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama is completely an internal affair of China."

During the annual leader's summit held Tuesday near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, the EU and United States expressed concern over recent unrest in Tibet and urged Chinese and Tibetans to refrain from further violence.

"We welcome China's recent decision to hold talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives," the EU and United States said in a statement released by the White House.

"We encourage both parties to move forward with a substantive, constructive and results-oriented dialogue at an early date."

Spurred by international pressure over deadly unrest in Tibet this year, Chinese officials met the Dalai Lama's envoys in early May for a day of talks.

That led to an agreement to restart formal discussions, which had broken off last year, on June 11.

But those talks were postponed while China focused on relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in the nation's southwest in May.

The EU-US statement also urged China to address "its poor human rights record" and allow its citizens to enjoy "internationally recognised human rights."

Qin responded, saying: "China's government has all along paid great importance to advancing human rights."

"The Chinese side resolutely opposes the use of human rights as a pretext to interfere into the internal affairs of other nations and opposes the use of double standards in questions relating to human rights," he added.

Deadly riots broke out on March 14 in Lhasa after earlier peaceful protests to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.

Beijing says it acted with restraint to quell the unrest, charging rioters with killing 21 people. The Tibetan government-in-exile says over 200 Tibetans were killed in China's crackdown.

EU – USA Summit

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