'Talks With China Useless,' Says Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday talks with China over his homeland's future were useless, unless Beijing adopted a realistic stance.

The issue is [the peoples'] basic right. In [the] future, unless they start a realistic approach for the Tibetan problem inside Tibet, there's not much to discuss, the Dalai Lama told Reuters in an interview at Britain's Houses of Parliament.

The 76-year-old was speaking in Britain on a tour to spread compassion and non-violence, a move which has prompted an angry reaction from Chinese officials who have threatened serious consequences against the Olympic host nation.