BEIJING - CHINA has lodged a 'strong protest' with France over President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it had affected China's ties with Europe, state media reported on Sunday.

'Deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei has lodged a strong protest with the French side over Mr Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama,' Chinese state-run CCTV reported in its nightly broadcast.

It said he summoned France's ambassador to China on Sunday evening to complain about Mr Sarkozy's meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader a day earlier in Poland.

'This has undermined the political foundations of Sino-French and Sino-European ties,' it quoted He as saying.

Mr Sarkozy, who currently holds the EU presidency, met the Dalai Lama at a gathering of Nobel Peace Prize winners despite repeated warnings from Beijing that it would harm relations with France and Europe.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for his Chinese-controlled Himalayan homeland.

'China resolutely opposes this (meeting) and strongly protests,' CCTV quoted He as saying.

However, the report made no mention of any specific consequences on bilateral ties.

Beijing had already shown its anger by scrapping a China-EU summit.

The Dalai Lama denies Beijing's accusations that he seeks independence, insisting he wants only 'meaningful autonomy' for Tibet.

He has lived in exile in India since fleeing his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule, nine years after Chinese troops invaded the region. -- AFP