Dharamsala, May 15 (IANS): Tibetan Prime Minister in-exile Lobsang Sangay met 40 Chinese scholars and students in the US and discussed the issue of Tibet, a statement said on Friday.

The prime minister clarified his government's "middle-way approach" and the recent whitepaper on Tibet of the Chinese government, a spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), headquartered here, told IANS.

He said the meeting took place at a dialogue organised in Washington this week by the Initiatives for China, a grassroots movement towards democracy in China, which was moderated by its founder president Yang Jianli.

Speaking on the "middle-way approach", Sangay said it was envisioned by the Dalai Lama and implemented by the CTA to address the enduring mistrust between the two people.

"The middle-way approach seeks for a genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people within the framework of the Chinese constitution. The Chinese government always alleges that Tibetans aim to split the nation, which is why we have taken into consideration not to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China," he explained.

Quoting a statement from the recent whitepaper on Tibet, he said: "The whitepaper stated that Tibet was part of China since antiquity. However, in 2004, a similar Chinese White paper on Tibet said Tibet was part of China since the 13th century."

"There are a lot of contradictions in the Chinese government's narrative on Tibet," he said.

Sangay said that the whitepaper was a deliberate attempt by the Chinese government to misinterpret and mislead the world.

This dialogue is also a part of Sangay's continuous efforts to enhance mutual trust and understanding between the Chinese and the Tibetan people, said the statement.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in Dharamsala town.