(dpa) - Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was expected to stopover in Japan on April 10 while travelling from India to the United States, the Dalai Lama's liaison office in Tokyo said.
The Dalai Lama plans to make a transit stop at Narita International Airport in the morning of April 10 before he flies to the United States, a staff member at the Liaison Office of H H the Dalai Lama in Japan and East Asia said Tuesday.
If his stopover was long enough and enough press based in Tokyo wished to hear the spiritual leader speak, the liaison office said it would plan a press conference.
The press conference and his visit to Japan would likely prompt a protest from China.
The Chinese government believes the Dalai Lama is inciting the recent riots in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and accuses him of being a separatist.
In the message he released through the office last Friday, however, the Dalai Lama said he did not intend to seek Tibetan independence but he had only sought a solution to bring long-term benefits to both Chinese and Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama is to give a speech in Seattle in mid-April.
He visited Japan last November to give speeches. He met and talked with Yukio Haotyama, secretary general of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. However, he has no plans to meet any politicians during the stopover on April 10, the liaison office said.