France appealed for calm Sunday after China strongly protested President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama, with the human rights minister saying there was no need for "psycho-drama."

China reacted angrily to Sarkozy's meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader on Saturday, saying it had seriously undermined Bejing's relations with France and Europe.

"There is no need for psycho-drama," human rights minister Rama Yade said in an interview to French LCI television.

"The Dalai Lama is not a dangerous man. He is a man of peace, of non-violence, who has been awarded the Nobel prize for peace."

Yade stressed that China and France must pool their efforts to tackle the global financial crisis instead of feuding over Tibet.

"We need to cooperate, calmly," she said.

Sarkozy is the first European head of state to meet the Dalai Lama while holding the European Union's rotating presidency. He sat down with him for 30 minutes in the Polish city of Gdansk, on the sidelines of a gathering of Nobel Peace prize winners.

China considers talks with the Dalai Lama as meddling in internal affairs and has branded the Buddhist leader a separatist, despite his claims that he is seeking autonomy and not independence for the Himalayan region.

Bejing last month cancelled an EU-summit that was to be held under France's EU presidency in Lyon on December 1 to protest Sarkozy's meeting.

Economy Minister Christine Lagarde earlier stressed that economic relations should be spared from reprisals.

"We have very important trade relations with them, in terms of imports and exports," Lagarde told France 2 television.

"There are many French businesses working in China and I believe that it is in everyone's interest that this relationship continues, despite what China considers to be a minor incident," she said.

Sarkozy has been struggling to strike a balance between keeping relations with China on an even keel, while deflecting criticism at home of being soft on Beijing on the issue of human rights.

The French ambassador to China was summoned to the foreign ministry in Beijing and told that the meeting "undermined the political foundations of Sino-French and Sino-European ties," Chinese state-run CCTV reported.

Sarkozy risked a new flare-up of Chinese anger after mass demonstrations at French stores earlier this year.

There were Chinese boycotts of French products after pro-Tibet protests in April marred the Olympic torch relay in Paris and Sarkozy threatened to stay away from the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.

The French leader in the end attended the Olympics ceremony and sent his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to meet with the Dalai Lama when he visited France in August.

China blasts Sarkozy's Dalai Lama meeting

Beijing (AFP) Dec 7 – China lashed out at France on Sunday over President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it had seriously harmed China's ties with France and Europe.

"Deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei has lodged a strong protest with the French side over Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama," Chinese state-run CCTV reported in its nightly broadcast.

It said He summoned France's ambassador to China, Herve Ladsous, on Sunday evening to complain about Sarkozy's meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader a day earlier.

"This has undermined the political foundations of Sino-French and Sino-European ties," the report quoted He as telling the French diplomat.

Sarkozy, who currently holds the EU presidency, met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader in Poland, risking a new flare-up of Chinese anger after mass demonstrations at French stores earlier this year.

A separate statement issued by China's foreign ministry said the meeting had "caused serious harm to Sino-French bilateral relations".

"Despite the strong opposition of China's masses and the Chinese government's stern representations, President Sarkozy persisted in meeting the Dalai Lama in the dual capacities as French and EU president," said the statement by ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

"This erroneous French action grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and seriously hurts the feelings of China's people. The Chinese government expresses its resolute opposition and strong dissatisfaction," it said.

But The Dalai Lama on Sunday in Krakow praised Sarkozy and dismissed China's reaction in the past to his meetings with international leaders as "a lot of harsh talk" with "not much sort of follow up".

"He (Sarkozy) is showing a genuine sort of concern for Tibet, and I appreciate (it) in spite (of) the difficulties or inconvenience, some complications, that he stands firm and that's the right way," the Dalai Lama told reporters.

"I also mentioned to the president, according to our past experience before meetings take place — a lot of harsh talk (from China)… but after things are finished there is not much sort of follow up," the Dalai Lama went on.

"Anyway, China needs Europe and Europe in future not entirely dependent on China," he said.

"Good relations with China, friendship is very very important but that does not mean you can forget principles," he added.

"In the economic field the Chinese themselves want to join the world community, now the free world has the moral responsibility to bring China into the mainstream of world democracy," the Dalai Lama said.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for his Chinese-controlled Himalayan homeland and views it as a national affront when foreign leaders have contact with him.

However, the Chinese statements made no mention of any further reprisals after China had already cancelled an EU-China summit.

The Chinese foreign ministry statement ended by urging France to take steps to "correct its mistakes to allow Sino-French ties to continue their healthy and stable development."

Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama, at a gathering of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, was preceded by repeated Chinese warnings that Sino-French ties, including their burgeoning trade relationship, could be harmed.

After the meeting, Sarkozy took pains to play down any split with China and stressed he was free to talk to whomever he wants.

"The Dalai Lama confirmed what I already knew, that he will not demand independence for Tibet, and I told him how important I thought it was to pursue dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities," he said.

He added: "I am free as the French president and the EU president, I have values and convictions. Let's not make things tense, the world doesn't need it and it doesn't correspond to reality."

It has been a rocky year in Sino-French ties.

Weeks of anti-France demonstrations, targeting French commercial symbols such as retail giant Carrefour, erupted in April after pro-Tibet activists disrupted the Paris leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay.

While calling for calm at home in the current dispute, Beijing has warned of mounting anger among Chinese consumers.

It was quiet Sunday outside the French embassy in Beijing, although two busloads of armed police could be seen waiting on an adjacent side road.

The scene at Carrefour stores was normal as well, with masses of Chinese shoppers filling the aisles.

However, Internet forums, often the only form of public expression for Chinese, have been awash recently with anti-French comments, including calls for a boycott of French goods.

Normally, China's communist rulers swiftly block online expressions they do not like, but they have allowed the current criticisms to persist for days.

The Dalai Lama insists he wants only "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet. He has lived in exile in India since fleeing his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule, nine years after Chinese troops invaded the region.

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