The Dalai Lama left Taiwan Friday after a five-day religious mission that tested the island's rapidly warming relationship with China. Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, whom Beijing labels a "splittist," left from Taoyuan International Airport, outside Taipei, seen off by more than 100 supporters and monks shouting "Long Live Dalai Lama."
The Dalai Lama arrived in Taiwan at the start of the week for a tour primarily aimed at comforting victims of Typhoon Morakot, which battered the island in early August killing at least 614 people. He said repeatedly that his visit was "non-political," but China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, voiced anger and cancelled several delegations to the island, including one led by a deputy central bank governor.
"It's undeniable that this visit had some negative impact on the basic trust across the Taiwan Straits," said Chang Jung-kung, deputy secretary general of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, according to the United Evening News.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which invited the Dalai Lama, said Friday in a statement that China "overreacted to his visit, which made the Taiwanese people very uncomfortable." Observers argued that short-term tension was inevitable, but that it would not have a longer-term effect because both self-ruled Taiwan and China had too much to lose.