TAIPEI, July 12: Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has called off a planned visit to Taiwan this fall, the state-run news agency reported today. The central news agency quoted Ching Hsing, head of the Chinese Buddhist Association, as saying the trip was called off because he feared he could not mobilise enough followers to give the Dalai Lama the big welcome that was accorded him on his first visit last year.The Taiwanese Buddhist leader refused to comment on whether the Dalai Lama cancelled the trip because of its political sensitivity, the report said.On a recent visit to China, US President Bill Clinton had urged Chinese President Jiang Zemin to open dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader.
