SHENZHEN, CHINA - The Dalai Lama's representatives left China on Monday with a solid offer from Beijing for future talks, marking a small step toward expanding dialogue between the two sides following anti-government riots in Tibet.

Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche of the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile said the two sides had agreed to meet again after daylong discussions conducted in a "good atmosphere" Sunday in the southern city of Shenzhen.

"Like we said before, we're not expecting much outcome from these talks, but this is a slow process and we are happy to continue the dialogue," he told reporters in Dharmsala, India.

Both China's state broadcaster and the official Xinhua News Agency confirmed a second round of talks had been agreed on.

Xinhua said, however, that Chinese officials told the Dalai Lama's envoys that recent protests had created new obstacles to communication.

International critics have accused China of heavy-handed tactics in quelling anti-government riots and protests in Tibet and Tibetan areas of western China that began in March.

Some experts believe Beijing agreed to meet with the envoys to ease that criticism ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

The Dalai Lama, the Buddhist spiritual leader who fled Tibet in 1959 amid a Chinese crackdown, has previously said he wants some form of autonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practice their culture, language and religion.