Britain calls on China to pursue dialogue over Tibet

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Britain called on China to act responsibly and pursue a dialogue over Tibet after reports of scores of deaths in Beijing's security crackdown on demonstrations in Lhasa.

"I very much hope that one lesson to be learned from the tragic events of the last few days is that substantive dialogue is the only way forward," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said at a joint news conference on Monday with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Miliband said Britain recognized "the special position" of Chinese authorities with respect to Tibet. "But equally, I think we've got very clear evidence here, from the loss of lives, of the dangers when dialogue is not taking place."

Exiled representatives of Tibet in India on Sunday put the death toll in protests against Chinese rule on Friday at 80. The chairman of the Tibet regional government said 13 civilians had been killed and dozens of security personnel injured.

China says the unrest has been organized by followers of the Dalai Lama. The exiled spiritual leader has denied the charge.

"Now it is clear that there is a need for the Chinese government to show all the responsibility of a strong and great nation, and to ensure that a substantive dialogue ... for Tibet really does take place," Miliband said.

Miliband and Bildt also discussed Kosovo where Serbs fired guns and threw grenades at U.N. police and NATO troops in the worst such incidents since Albanian leaders declared Kosovo's independence a month ago.

"Both of our countries have recognized Kosovo -- for good reason, which is that recognition is the best way to promote stability in the western Balkans," Miliband said.

"That stability depends on the European orientation of all the countries of the former Yugoslavia."

Britain and Sweden were committed to extending friendship to Serbia's government as well as the people of Kosovo, he said.

"But also," Miliband added, "we recognize that in the end it's got to be the European engagement that's going to hold the key lever for the next stage of development right across the Western Balkans."

(Reporting by Adam Cox, editing by Mary Gabriel)