Tibet¡¯s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, criticized the leaders of China on Wednesday, saying they ¡°don¡¯t understand the variety of different cultures¡± there and there is too much control by the main Han ethnic group.

But he also said he had nothing against ¡°Chinese brothers and sisters¡± as fellow humans and he broadly supported the ideas behind communism and Marxism.

The 86-year-old Dalai Lama, taking part in an online news conference anchored in Tokyo, was answering a question about whether the international community should consider boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics over the suppression of minorities, including those in the western region of Xinjiang.