Gordon Brown has said he will not boycott the Beijing Olympics because the Dalai Lama opposes such action, reports BBC.

The prime minister said the only way for the Chinese and Tibetans to resolve their tensions was through dialogue. His comments come amid reports French president Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to boycott the games unless China opens talks with the Dalai Lama.

Mr Brown has also resisted calls not to welcome the Olympic torch in Downing Street when it arrives in London. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg had increased the pressure on the prime minister by telling him not to attend the Games in August or this weekend’s torch relay.

Eighty athletes, entertainers and dignitaries will carry it in a relay on a 31-mile long journey through the capital’s streets on Sunday as part of its journey to the Beijing 2008 games. But activists critical of the Chinese government have vowed to stage protests along the route of the procession. Speaking at a conference of international centre-left leaders, Mr Brown said: “Any violence in China is to be condemned and I do urge restraint all round.

“It is important that we recognise that the tensions between those in Tibet and the Chinese authorities can only in the end be solved by dialogue.” He should be saying, ‘Sort out your problems in Tibet and improve your human rights record there,’ instead of receiving this torch He added: “The Dalai Lama himself says he does not want to see a boycott of the Olympics and that is why I have said that as the host country for the 2012 Olympics I will attend the (Beijing) Olympics as I know many others will do.”

The Metropolitan Police intends to mobilise 2,000 officers to maintain order along the relay route. A spokesman said six organisations, including the Free Tibet movement, the Falun Gong spiritual group and the Burma campaign, were planning to send a total of up to 500 demonstrators.

Free Tibet spokesman Matt Whitticase said it was regrettable Mr Brown was to welcome the torch in Downing Street. “He should be saying, ‘Sort out your problems in Tibet and improve your human rights record there,’ instead of receiving this torch, which is undoubtedly tainted by China’s actions inside Tibet,” he added.