BEIJING : China lashed out on Wednesday at US President George W. Bush's private meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it was "strongly resentful" of what it called gross interference in its internal affairs.

"China is strongly resentful of this and resolutely opposes it, and has made solemn representations to the US side," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

"We (have) seriously urged the US side to correct such wrong doings and stop interfering in China's internal affairs in any form."

He described Tuesday's meeting between Bush and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader as a "gross interference in China's internal affairs".

The Dalai Lama is also on Wednesday due to receive from Bush the highest civilian award that the US Congress can bestow - the Congressional Gold Medal - at a lavish awards ceremony in Washington.

It will be the first time a sitting US president has appeared in public with the Dalai Lama.

Liu also reiterated China's position that the Dalai Lama was intent on trying to achieve independence for his homeland, despite the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner insisting he wants only autonomy under Chinese rule.

"Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the Tibet issue is purely China's internal affairs," he said.

"The words and deeds of the Dalai Lama in the past decades show he is a political refugee engaging in secessionist activities in the camouflage of religion."

China has ruled Tibet, a devoutly Buddhist land, since sending troops into the region in 1950, and officially "liberating" it a year later.

The Dalai Lama fled to India following a failed uprising in 1959 and currently lives in the northern hill town of Dharamsala, which is also the seat of his government in exile. - AFP/ch