During a European tour in October, the Dalai Lama paid a visit to Milan, where Mayor Giuseppe Sala presented him with a key to the city and "made him an honorary Milanese citizen," according to Panja, Ebhardt & Lepido of BLOOMBERG. The Chinese embassy in Rome "disapproved of the warm welcome for the Tibetan leader," saying the visit "seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people" and would have a "negative impact." Those "hard feelings have created problems for the Chinese investor group" trying to buy AC Milan from former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, according to "several people familiar with the situation." Eager "in general to keep Chinese investment in the country and particularly unhappy to see it land in Milan," Chinese authorities are blocking Sino-Europe Sports from transferring funds from China to complete the $785M deal. Advisers representing both SES and Berlusconi "asked Chinese authorities in Italy to clear the funds." They made the case that the transaction "had nothing to do with the reception of the Dalai Lama." The Chinese were not "persuaded." SES declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for Fininvest, Berlusconi’s investment company. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Italy did not "respond to a request for comment" (BLOOMBERG, 2/14).
