Taipei, Sep 4 (DPA) The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, ended his sensitive Taiwan visit Friday, leaving Taipei to mend the damage to its relations with Beijing from his visit.

Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwan disciples saw off the Dalai Lama at the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei, and hundreds more waited for him at the Taoyuan International Airport outside Taipei.

At both the hotel and the airport terminal, dozens of supporters of Taiwan-China unification protested the Dalai Lama's visit, but police removed them by force.

As the Dalai Lama was escorted into the airport terminal by a horde of body guards and police, a reporter shouted: 'Do you think you can return to Tibet?'

Living in exile in India since 1959 and still barred from going home because China fears he seeks Tibet's independence, the Dalai Lama turned his head and said: 'We are always ready to return to Tibet. We are Tibetan, so of course we are. I am a Tibetan.'

He then flew back to India, where he has been leading the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala.