China has warned that countries receiving the Dalai Lama on his current European tour will "severely damage" relations with Beijing.

The Tibetan leader has already met with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and other top Danish officials, which drew an angry reaction from China, warning of damage to bilateral ties.

In Poland, the 73-year-old exiled spiritual leader was made an honorary citizen of the capital Warsaw. It is expected he will be well received in France where he will arrive at the weekend.

The Dali Lama's trip also includes a visit to Iceland and the Netherlands, where he will arrive on Wednesday. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende will not be meeting with the Dalai Lama; the Tibetan leader will be received by Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen. Prime Minister Balkenende says that a meeting the Dalai Lama would jeopardise his position with China on the delicate subject of human rights.