Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says Tibet might benefit more by remaining with China provided the culture and the environment of the Himalayan region is protected.
"Tibet is backward, it's a big land, quite rich in natural resources, but we completely lack the technology or expertise (to exploit them)," he told Time magazine in an interview from his home in exile in India.
"So if we remain within China, we might get a greater benefit, provided it respects our culture and beautiful environment and gives us some kind of guarantee. For us ëit would meanû more modernization," he added.
India has hosted the Dalai Lama since he fled Tibet in 1959 amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He and the Tibetan government-in-exile are headquartered in the northern hill station of Dharamsala.
The Dalai Lama said a ray of hope had emerged for Tibetans because several Chinese people were showing interest in Tibetan culture and spiritualiy even though there had been no change of regime in Beijing.
"Many communist and authoritarian regimes have changed, including the Soviet Union, not by force but by their own people. These are very positive developments," he said.
"China still has the same system but the reality is that much is changing ... So on that level the situation in Tibet is hopeful. Today, quite a number of ëChineseû people are showing an interest in the preservation of Tibetan culture and spirituality," he added.
Direct contacts between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government broke down in 1993 and were renewed only in September 2002.
The Dalai Lama said China was already in a "win-win position" with regard to Tibet but would gain more by allowing it to become more prosperous and preserving the region's language, culture and environment.
Two envoys of the Dalai Lama visited China last month, They returned to say that though major differences exist between the exiled Tibetan leader and Beijing, both sides were ready to continue the contacts.
The Dalai Lama said it would take time before the talks with Beijing yielded results.
"We're not expecting some major breakthrough -- the Tibetan issue is very complicated, and China is oversuspicious and very cautious. It will take time," he said.