May 2 (Bloomberg) -- Representatives of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, will reach China tomorrow to hold the first face-to-face talks with the Chinese government since protests in Tibet in March led to a government crackdown.

``We are hopeful that China is realizing that there is a problem with their policies,'' Tenzin Taklha, a spokesman for the Tibetan spiritual leader, said by phone from Dharamsala in northern India. ``It is heartening that the Chinese are willing to address these issues realistically and work with our side to reach a mutually beneficial situation.''

China's decision to meet with Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's Washington-based special envoy, and Kelsang Gyaltsen, his envoy to the European Union, may break a deadlock after riots in March prompted global protests over Chinese rule of the territory. China has previously blamed the Dalai Lama for triggering the biggest protests in Tibet in almost 20 years.

The U.S. had urged China to reach out to the Dalai Lama, while also saying the dispute over Tibet shouldn't wreck a developing strategic relationship. The last discussions between representatives of China and the Tibetan government-in-exile took place in July 2007.

Chinese police say rioters killed 22 people in the Tibetan capital Lhasa on March 14, while the Dharamsala-based government says troops have killed at least 140 protesters since the demonstrations began. China took control of Tibet in 1951.

``We'll explain our concerns about how the ongoing repression is a result of the protests,'' Taklha said. ``We will suggest steps that we feel will reduce the tension.''

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Beijing's rule.

Protesters against China's control over Tibet have held demonstrations alongside the Olympic torch relay in cities including Paris and San Francisco. Today, there were a few scuffles in Hong Kong as the torch passed through the city, according to police. No arrests were made. The relay is leading up to the Beijing Olympics in August.

To contact the reporter on this story: Saikat Chatterjee in New Delhi at schatterjee4@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 2, 2008 10:34 EDT