July 2, 2008

BEIJING — Chinese officials and senior envoys of the Dalai Lama opened their latest round of negotiations over Tibet on Tuesday, as international pressure for a breakthrough intensifies ahead of the Olympic Games.

The discussions, held at an undisclosed location in Beijing, are the second round of formal talks since March, when anti-Chinese protests erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and spread to Tibetan regions of western China. The precise agenda is unknown, but the two sides have sharp differences over the political status of Tibet and the possible return of the exiled Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader.

Analysts agree that major progress is unlikely and say negotiators are probably talking about far narrower issues, including a possible road map for more substantive discussions.

In a statement released by the Dalai Lama’s office, he said his envoys would “make every effort to bring about tangible progress to alleviate the difficult situation for Tibetans in their homeland.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, declined to comment on the negotiations in a news conference on Tuesday.

But a day earlier, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, said he would decide whether to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics after assessing the merits of the talks. Mr. Sarkozy has been an outspoken critic of China’s crackdown after the Tibet protests, though he has moderated his comments in recent weeks.

“I expect much from them,” Mr. Sarkozy said of the talks during a television interview in France. “I am in contact with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, and the Dalai Lama, and I believe that the talks are progressing well.”

Last Sunday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also raised the Tibet situation during a meeting in Beijing with China’s foreign minister, Yang Jiechi. “The United States continues to be concerned about the situation in Tibet and we want to encourage the dialogue that has begun there,” Ms. Rice said.

China has blamed the March violence and demonstrations on the Dalai Lama, accusing him and his followers of orchestrating the uprising in order to destabilize and “split” China before the Olympics. The Dalai Lama has denied the accusations and called on Tibetans to renounce violence. He also has opposed boycotting the Olympics and said he would attend the opening ceremony if invited.

The current talks are a continuation of a process that began in 2002 but broke down last summer. China agreed to restart the process in April, and the two sides met in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. A follow-up meeting was postponed because of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province.

Foreign journalists are still forbidden to visit many Tibetan regions of western China. Pro-Tibet advocacy groups have reported continuing violent confrontations between Tibetans and security officers. Authorities also have ordered “patriotic education” campaigns inside Tibetan monasteries to discipline Buddhist monks. Last month, the Communist Party boss of the Tibet Autonomous Region elicited international criticism when he used the Olympic torch ceremony in Lhasa to criticize the Dalai Lama.

Meanwhile, China’s state media has continued to attack the Dalai Lama and question his motives. Global Weekly, a state-owned international affairs magazine, had a cover story this week entitled, “Open Your Eyes to the Dalai Lama Clique’s Next Plot.”

But analysts also point to recent signs of possible warming. On June 4, the Dalai Lama led a prayer vigil on behalf of the victims of the Sichuan earthquake that was attended by officials in the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India. He also has sought to tamp down more confrontational factions in the exile Tibetan community. China, meanwhile, has reopened Tibet to foreign tourists and says foreign journalists, if approved, can also visit. Chinese state media also reported that authorities have released more than 1,000 Tibetans detained after the demonstrations.

“Over the past two months, both sides have done a lot of work to try to create a positive ambience,” said Laurence Brahm, a businessman in Beijing who has served as an informal liaison between the two sides.