The Indian government says the Karmapa Lama -- the high-ranking Buddhist priest from Tibet who crossed the Himalayas in secret last week -- has expressed no desire to leave India.

A foreign ministry spokesman, answering questions from reporters, said Delhi was still assessing the consequences of the Karmapa Lama's arrival, which he said should be viewed in the context of India's close historical ties with Tibet.

He repeated that no request for political asylum had been received.

A Chinese spokesman yesterday suggested that granting asylum would violate the principles governing relations between the two countries known as Panchsheel which include non-interference in each other's internal affairs. A representative of the Dalai Lama has meanwhile held a half-hour meeting with the Karmapa Lama.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service