Official Chinese media has renewed its criticism of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
One newspaper, the Tibet Daily, repeated accusations that he had orchestrated anti-Chinese riots in Tibet.
The criticism comes a day ahead of a meeting involving representatives of the exiled Buddhist leader in southern China on the most serious unrest in Tibet for nearly two decades.
The barrage of criticism suggests the government is in no mood to compromise following riots and protests in Tibet, which have shaken China's preparations for the Beijing Olympics and have led to renewed Western criticism of its rule in the region.
'Patriotic people of Tibet strongly condemn and vehemently denounce the litany of crimes committed by the 14th Dalai Lama and his followers,' the paper said, according to its website.
A senior aide to the Dalai Lama said his representatives had reached China but that he did not have great expectations for tomorrow's talks.
He said the venue for the meeting would be Shenzhen, a boomtown across the border from Hong Kong in southern China.
The Olympic torch's world tour has been dogged by protests over China's rule in Tibet that have angered Beijing and provoked counter-rallies both at home and abroad by patriotic Chinese.
China proposed the talks last week after Western governments urged it to open new dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who says he wants a high level of autonomy and religious freedom for the homeland he fled in 1959.
The Tibet Daily repeated charges that the Dalai Lama's 'clique' orchestrated deadly riots on 14 March in the regional capital, Lhasa, to wreck preparations for August's Olympics.
'The Dalai clique's hopes of achieving Tibetan independence are increasingly dim, and at this time when their hopes have been destroyed, the Dalai clique launched a bloody violent event - their last bout of madness,' said the paper.
The overseas edition of the People's Daily, the official paper of China's ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary today that the Dalai Lama's claims that Tibetans lack religious freedom was a fig leaf for seeking the region's independence.
'The religion issue is merely a card played by the Dalai clique to garner sympathy from some people,' it said.
The Dalai Lama has said he objects to violence and supports the Beijing Olympics. China says he is insincere.
China says the rioting in Lhasa in March killed 18 innocent civilians and a police officer. It has not clearly specified how many, if any, rioters or protesters have died but says troops used maximum restraint and avoided using lethal weapons.
Exiled groups claim many more Tibetans have died in the crackdown. The Tibetan government-in-exile estimated this week that 203 Tibetans have died in the unrest since 10 March.
There have been six rounds of dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys since 2002 with no breakthrough.
