The Chinese government is trying to persuade IFP leader Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi not to attend a summit of world leaders in Rome to discuss China's rule of Tibet, Ilanga newspaper reported on Thursday.

The paper reported that China's Consul General, Liu Yantao recently wrote a letter to Buthelezi asking him not to take part in the summit scheduled to take place later this month.

Buthelezi, who is a friend of exiled Buddhist political and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has refused to turn down the invitation, the paper reported.

Attempts to persuade the South African government to block Buthelezi also failed as government told the Chinese that South Africa is a democratic country which allowed its citizens to travel anywhere as they wished.

Relations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama and his followers are very sour.

Anti-Chinese protests broke out in Tibet on 10 March in 2008 on the 49th anniversary of an abortive 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959.

Yantao and Buthelezi were not immediately available to comment.

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