Beijing, November 23:

China today reiterated its claim to Tibet as it reacted again to a string of protests by Tibetan activists during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to India, during which one man set himself ablaze.

The Tibetan man set his legs on fire outside Mumbai’s luxury Taj Hotel during a protest organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress yesterday. Hundreds of other Tibetans staged protests during Hu’s state visit this week, demanding that he hold talks with India over the Himalayan region and negotiations as well as with Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

“The Tibet autonomous region has been an integral part of China since ancient times and Tibetan affairs are the internal affairs of China,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press conference.

“China opposes the act of any country to interfere with China’s internal affairs under the pretext of the Tibet issue,” the spokeswoman added.

Hu in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Pakistan on Thursday to reassure Beijing’s closest ally of its strategic and economic support. Hu’s four-day visit to the Islamic republic — the first by a Chinese leader in a decade — will centre around talks expected to focus on boosting trade and potentially aiding Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz greeted Hu and his wife at Chaklala Airbase near Islamabad after they flew in from Mumbai after a landmark three-day trip to India.— AFP