China’s State media on Sunday slammed the Dalai Lama clique for politicizing a normalinvestment from a US foundation in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

“The Chinese government has long attached great significance on protecting Tibet’secology and exploiting water resources in a reasonable way,” said an article published onTibet.cn, a website affiliated with the Chinese government.

The remarks came after US Secretary of State John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz hadreportedly invested in 12 Chinese companies, including one in Tibet called the 5100Water Resources Co. Ltd., a Chinese company that sells bottled water allegedly “as a rivalto Evian and Perrier.”

The investment then encountered opposition from groups supporting “Tibet independence.”

“It is unfortunate now that through this fund, Secretary Kerry’s family- knowingly or not- is supporting a Chinese business, which is exploiting Tibetan resources and doingharm to its environment,” Alistair Currie, a spokesperson for Free Tibet，an organizationof exiled Tibetans advocating "Tibet's independence，" was quoted by the US-based newssite Daily Caller as saying.

“The Dalai Lama clique is either being too sensitive or is attempting to hype up the issue as it ‘politicizes’ a foundation’s normal investment activity,” said Tibet.cn.

Active investments in Tibet’s water conservancy construction can help boostcomprehensive capability in environment administration and protect water resourceecology. The investments will also help improve livelihood in Tibet, the website added.

The investments are from “HFI Imperial,” a Heinz family trust, according to Daily Caller.

“Secretary Kerry is not a beneficiary of these trusts, and Mrs. Heinz Kerry also exercises no control over the investment decisions made by the independent trustees,” US StateDepartment spokesperson Admiral John Kirby told the Daily Caller.