Always ready to go back to Tibet: Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama today said he was "always ready to go back to Tibet," at the end of a five-day visit to Taiwan which has angered China.

"We are always ready to go back to Tibet. Of course, every Tibetan always thinks that way," he told reporters as he arrived at the Taoyuan International Airport outside Taipei, preparing to leave Taiwan.

The 74-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader was responding to a question from AFP on whether he thought he would ever be able to return to his Himalayan homeland.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet half a century ago after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has lived in exile ever since.

Representatives of the Dalai Lama have held occasional talks with Chinese officials, most recently in November, but little progress appears to have been made.

He has said he wants "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet but China argues he is seeking full independence and is engaging in "separatist" actions in the region. The Dalai Lama denies the claim.

The Dalai Lama's trip to Taiwan has triggered strong reactions from China, although he has said that the tour was mainly to comfort victims of Typhoon Morakot, which lashed the island last month, killing more than 600 people.

China claims Taiwan as its own although the island has governed itself for six decades.