Wellington, Nov 19 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key sought advice on the foreign policy consequences of meeting the Dalai Lama before deciding not to, Parliament was told today.

Mr Key said yesterday he was not going to meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader when he visited New Zealand next month.

"I may in the future, but I have met with him in the past and decided on this occasion there is no particular need to meet with him," Mr Key said.

China always objects to senior political leaders meeting the Dalai Lama as he represents opposition to China's occupation of Tibet.

Mr Key said the issue had not been raised by the Chinese leadership at recent Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meetings, but he had told President Hu Jintao he would not be meeting the Dalai Lama on this occasion.

"We would understand the way the Chinese would deal with these things, but on the other side of the coin that wasn't the over-riding factor. There are a number of factors involved," Mr Key said.

The Green Party's foreign affairs spokesman, Keith Locke, questioned Foreign Minister Murray McCully in Parliament today about the advice Mr McCully or his ministry had given Mr Key about meeting the Dalai Lama.

"He did discuss the matter with me," Mr McCully said.

"He sought some advice as to what other nations' leaders were doing in similar situations and he also sought some advice as to foreign policy consequences that would follow from decisions he might make."

Mr McCully confirmed that no government ministers intended meeting the Dalai Lama, who is due to visit at the invitation of the Tibetan Buddhist Community of New Zealand.

Mr Locke later said the Government was clearly embarrassed by its "unofficial boycott" of the Dalai Lama and should explain why he was being snubbed.

"It sends a strong signal that our economic relationship with China trumps all other concerns," he said.

"This will not be popular among New Zealanders, given our huge respect for the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and Nobel Peace Prize winner."

The Dalai Lama is due to visit Auckland on December 5 and 6 to give a public speech.

President Hu yesterday referred to China's "sovereignty over Taiwan and other matters", with some analysts predicting China will demand the United States accept China's sovereignty over the restive frontier regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.

Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei, capital of self-ruled Taiwan, to Beijing in 1979 but remains the island's main arms supplier.

United States President Barack Obama did not meet the Dalai Lama when the latter was in Washington in early October, but earlier this week he urged China to resume talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives.

The Dalai Lama has said they may meet when the president returns from China.

The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India after an abortive uprising in 1959, nine years after Chinese troops marched into the Himalayan region.