The Dalai Lama’s travel plan was announced a week after the completion of his visit to Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. China denounced the trip.

Chhime Chhoekyapa, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s aide, said the Dalai Lama would be in Arunachal Pradesh state in the second week of November. “He is going there for teaching. This has nothing to do with politics, there is nothing political about it,” Chhoekyapa said.

“China expresses strong concern about this information. The visit further reveals the Dalai clique’s anti-China and separatist essence,” Jiang Yu, the spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, said in a statement. “China’s stance on the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ is consistent. We firmly oppose Dalai visiting the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’,” Jiang said.

A visit to Arunachal Pradesh could now draw further attention to China’s treatment of Tibetan activists and the Dalai Lama’s calls for cultural and religious freedom and autonomy.

China considers the Dalai Lama a “splittist” who seeks to separate nearly a quarter of the land mass of the People’s Republic of China.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, denies the charge and says he seeks greater rights for Tibetans.

“The timing of his trip (to Arunachal Pradesh) is significant. It comes while the debate over his visit to Taiwan is still hot,” said Bhaskar Roy, a New Delhi-based China expert.

The government of India has reacted saying that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Elections to the state assembly are held as the appointed time and representatives of Arunachal are being elected to the Lok Sabha has been made clear by the government in Parliament.

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