A signed article yesterday denounced the so-called "Han Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Association", saying that it was a new trick of the Dalai clique in an attempt to separate China.

The article's author, Yedor, said the real intention of setting up such associations was to undermine China's ethnic unity and to overthrow the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.

Tracing the association to its source, the author said the idea of the so-called "Han Chinese-Tibetan Friendship Association" was originally proposed by some anti-China activists about 10 years ago in the United States.