BEIJING: China on Friday sharply criticized a planned meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama, suggesting bilateral relations could face a new setback if it goes ahead.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang reaffirmed Beijing's opposition to any form of contact between Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader and foreign heads of government.

‘At present, China's relations with both France and the EU are improving and developing. This hard-earned situation should be cherished,’ Qin said in a statement posted on the ministry's Web site.

‘We urge the French side to proceed from the overall interest of bilateral relations,’ Qin said. France should ‘take China's major concern seriously and properly handle relevant issues so as to contribute to the stable development of China-France and China-EU relations,’ he said.

Sarkozy said Thursday he would hold the long-awaited meeting with the Dalai Lama on Dec. 6 during a visit to Gdansk, Poland.

Beijing this week hardened its uncompromising approach to the Dalai Lama, accusing him and his followers of plotting ethnic cleansing and a return to feudal rule, and blaming him for the lack of progress in successive rounds of informal talks between the sides.

China emphatically rejected every proposal made by the Tibetan side, and on Thursday, Qin dismissed a meeting next week of exiled Tibetans called by the Dalai Lama as meaningless, saying the participants did not represent the views of most Tibetans.

‘Any attempt to plan or be involved in this meeting cannot represent the vast majority of the Tibetan people and their attempt will get nowhere,’ Qin said.