Beijing: A wary China kept a close watch as the Dalai Lama is set to begin over week-long visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh from Tuesday to attend religious engagements, evoking high decibel protests from Beijing which highlighted the disputed status of the area.

As the 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader’s politically significant visit came specially at a time when India-China ties were a low ebb due to differences over a number of issues came, China proactively countered the Dalai Lama’s account of how he had to flee from Tibet due to military actions.

India-China ties are currently bogged down over New Delhi’s objections over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through PoK, Beijing blocking India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar.

China on Sunday said the Dalai Lama fled to India from Tibet in 1959 after a “failed armed rebellion”, rejecting the Tibetan spiritual leader’s remarks that he had no other option but to escape due to increased Chinese military action.

“As it is known to all, the 14th Dalai Lama is an anti-China separatist who have long lived in exile following a failed armed rebellion by the reactionary group of high-ranking feudal serf-owners in Tibet in March 1959,” the Chinese foreign ministry said reacting to his comments.