Beijing - China warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday that relations between the two countries would suffer if he goes ahead with plans to meet the Dalai Lama. "It is time for the French side to make a choice," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing.
He also warned that political and economic ties between Paris and Beijing would be harmed if Sarkozy met the Tibetan spiritual leader
France, which currently holds the EU presidency, should respect China's concerns and take concrete measures, he said.
China has already cancelled a summit with the EU because of the meeting, which is due to take place on Saturday in the Polish city of Gdansk at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to former Polish president Lech Walesa.
French-Tibetan contacts provoked controversy with China earlier this year, when the French leg of the Olympic relay torch was the site of protests against Beijing's stance on Tibet.
Sarkozy initially also planned to stay away from the opening ceremony of the games, but later changed his mind and attended.
The Dalai Lama refrained from meeting the French president during an August conference with Tibetan exiles in France.
