British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he would meet exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, when he visits Britain, risking damage to Brown's drive for warmer relations with China.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the most serious protests and riots in Tibet for nearly two decades. He denies the accusations. "I will meet the Dalai Lama when he is in London," Brown told parliament.

The Dalai Lama is expected to visit Britain in May. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to meet the Dalai Lama last year led to a four-month chill in relations between China and Germany.

Brown said he had spoken to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday and had made it "absolutely clear that there had to be an end to violence in Tibet". Brown visited China in January and is keen to expand Britain's commercial ties with the fast-growing Asian economy.

Brown said Wen had told him he was prepared to hold talks with the Dalai Lama under certain conditions.

"The premier told me that, subject to two things that the Dalai Lama has already said - that he does not support the total independence of Tibet and that he renounces violence - that he would be prepared to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama," he said.-Reuters