Fury over Dalai Lama visit

The historic meeting is the first time a group of Australian politicians have met Tibet's spiritual leader and already it's raising eyebrows among the Chinese.

These parliamentarians don't always agree in the chamber, but on this trip they are seeing eye to eye.

They are in Dharamshala on "unofficial" business, a private visit to meet Tibet's Spiritual Leader and soak up his words.

The Dalai Lama told them of his concerns over lack of freedom of speech in China.

"No freedom of speech, no freedom of press, people put in darkness - immoral, I really think," the Dalai Lama said.

The six Members of Parliament are sponsored by the Australian Tibet Council and hope to travel to Tibet, during an official visit to China later this year.

"If the parliament asks the Chinese government to allow this group to go, I don't see why they shouldn't be, they would be breaking their word and I am sure the Chinese government wouldn't like to be seen to be doing that," Labor MP Michael Dandy told SBS.

The delegation says it supports the Dalai Lama's middle way approach of autonomy, rather than Independence for Tibet.

"We have a responsibility to stand up for their freedom, we have a responsibility for their rights to be protected," Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.

But even before the delegation left Australia, the meeting was already creating diplomatic waves.

The Chinese Embassy in Canberra had warned earlier this month that the trip would not go down well, saying "We firmly oppose any interference by outside forces to support the separatist activities of the Dalai clique."

DFAT officials today confirmed the Chinese have since made representations to the federal government over the meeting.

It's a response that jars with comments made by former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who cautioned Australia for taking a defensive stance against Asia's superpower.

But the federal government says it’s standing by its "One-China policy" - which recognises Tibet as a part of China.

Mr Keating says much of the government's recent defence white paper appeared to cast China in the role of an aggressor.

"The paper failed to spell out whether it was something we should regard as a threat and for which we should plan," Mr Keating said.

He says too often, Australia had created problems for itself when its defence policy got ahead of its foreign policy.

"We must be alert, dextrous and positive, never defensive".

"As Australia's economy ties with China grow, issues such as Tibet and China's record on human rights are bound to be either ignored or compromised," he said.