http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1682819/dismissing-china-fears-pope-says-he-willing-hold-dialogue-dalai-lama"Rejecting reports he refused to meet the Dalai Lama, who was in Rome to attend the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in December, the pope said: "The usual protocol of the secretary of state is not to receive heads of state and high ranking personalities when they are in Rome for an international meeting.
"Some newspapers said that I did not meet with him out of fear of China. This is not true. He asked for an audience some time ago. A date has been fixed. But not for the moment. We are in contact," he added."
