WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (AFP) - The United States expressed the hope Tuesday that a visit to China by two envoys of the Dalai Lama would pave the way for substantive talks between Beijing and the spiritual Tibetan leader.
The two envoys -- Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen -- arrived in China from India this week to continue contacts established with Beijing two years ago after a decade-long break.
"We hope this trip will encourage substantive dialogue between the two sides," US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
This is the third visit of the Dalai Lama's envoys since September 2002, when direct contacts were renewed between his India-based government-in-exile and the Chinese government. The second visit by the Tibetan delegation took place in May-June 2003.
President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell continue to discuss with Chinese leaders the need for "substantive dialogue" with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to resolve longstanding differences, Boucher said.
"This administration will follow this visit with great interest and we look forward to hearing more at the conclusion of the talks," he said.
China described the visit by the two Dalai Lama envoys as "a good thing" as it helped Tibetans abroad make "correct judgments" about the situation at home.
Beijing said that the longstanding Chinese policy on the Tibet issue was that "all patriots belong to one family, whether they come forward early or late".
India has hosted the Dalai Lama since he fled Tibet in 1959 amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The Tibetan leader's government-in-exile has been headquartered in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala since then.
Beijing demands that the Dalai Lama stop what it sees as separatist activities, and that he state publicly that he recognizes that both Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China.