BEIJING, Feb. 28 -- The concept of "one nation, one state" cannot be applied in China because the country is a multinational and centralized state, a senior political advisor and former official in charge of ethnic issues has said.

"When it comes to issues concerning Tibet and Xinjiang, some scholars from western countries often make their opinions based on this concept, which is not suitable for China," said Zhu Weiqun, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in an interview with Xinhua this week.

Zhu is director of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee, and a former deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

"One nation, one state" is suitable when the area of a state is consistent with the distribution of its nation, said Zhu, who took European history as an example, saying that the feudal system secured the independent status of small countries and denied a centralized government. The system was the beginning of the modern European structure.

However, Chinese history is totally different from Europe. Since 221 BC, China ended the warring states period and established the powerful centralized and unified dynasty.

"Unity is the mainstream along the development path of the Chinese nation," Zhu said.

He added that different ethnic groups in China mix with each other, and are interdependent economically, so they need one another.

"If the country is divided, the nation can not safeguard its interests or dignity in the circumstances of a foreign invasion. It is impossible for the Chinese nation to carry out 'one nation, one state', national self-determination or a federal system within the state," said Zhu.

Globalization accelerates and deepens exchanges among different nations, so few states have only one ethnic group.

"If national self-determination is thoroughly implemented, many states, including western countries will suffer from separatism," Zhu added.

Since 2002, Zhu has been a representative of China's central authority in negotiations with Dalai Lama's private representatives. He denounced the Dalai Lama's "middle way" approach, as it denies Tibet of being part of China historically and claims one fourth of Chinese territory.

The Dalai clique also want the ruling status of the CPC and the socialist system in Tibetan areas to be overthrown, withdrawal of the People's Liberation Army in the areas and non-Tibetan people in the region to be expelled, Zhu said.

Zhu said the Dalai clique's so-called memorandum of the "middle way" approach did not make any genuine revision on the old version, on the contrary, it added more separatist content.

"The memorandum claimed that the Dalai clique represent all Tibetan people. How does a separatist treason group have the qualification to represent Tibetan people? Where does that leave the people's government of the Tibetan Autonomous Region?" said Zhu.

"The memorandum arrogantly demanded an amendment of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Do they have the qualification? The "middle way" approach is always with a separatist nature," Zhu said.

Zhu published an article on Feb. 19 explaining why western countries keep causing trouble for China on Tibet issues. Two days later, U.S. President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama at the White House, in defiance of China's strong opposition.

"Obama's move verified my viewpoint," Zhu said, "the meeting undermined bilateral ties and triggered Chinese people's antipathy to the U.S. government. U.S. support to the Dalai clique and East Turkistan Islamic Movement separatists will finally become its negative asset."