Chinese brothers and sisters – wherever you may be – with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation. 

The message above from His Holiness the Dalai Lama was made in 2008 – a time of great unrest in Tibet. His Holiness has long urged the importance of building friendships between Tibetan and Chinese people, and no-one exemplifies such friendship more than Dr Yang Jianli, President and Founder of Initiatives for China, who His Holiness has described as a “Chinese star”.

Today, 4 June, the 26th anniversary of China’s brutal crushing of protests in Tiananmen Square, International Tibet Network is privileged to host on this site a message Dr Yang, a prominent China rights advocate who went to Beijing during the 1989 protests and has worked closely with the Tibetan people and support movement for many years.

On 4 June 2014, the 25th Anniversary of events in Tiananmen Square, His Holiness said: “Today, as our Chinese brothers and sisters commemorate the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1989 event in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, I offer my prayers for those who died for freedom, democracy and human rights.

These values are the foundation of a free and dynamic society. They are also the source of true peace and stability. While great progress has been made to integrate China into the world economy, I believe it is equally important to encourage China to enter the mainstream of global democracy. This will help China to gain the trust and respect of the rest of the world, enabling China to fulfill its potential in playing a leading role in global affairs.”