China sent additional troops into restive areas Thursday and made more arrests in the Tibetan capital in an effort to suppress anti-government protests.

The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, offered face-to-face negotiations with Chinese leaders and reiterated that he was not seeking independence for Tibet. China has ignored calls for dialogue.

Government officials acknowledged that protests against Chinese rule of Tibet have spread to Tibetan communities in other provinces after sweeping through Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, last week. It is one of the broadest challenges to Chinese rule in years.

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Hundreds of paramilitary police aboard at least 80 trucks traveled along the main road winding through the mountains into southeastern Tibet. Others set up camp and patrolled in riot gear, helmets and rifles in the area above Tiger Leaping Gorge, a tourist attraction that usually sees little unrest.

Such scenes were repeated across far-flung towns and villages in Tibetan areas of adjacent provinces as sporadic demonstrations continued. The Chinese government advised foreigners to stay away from the areas, and tour groups were banned from Tibet, isolating a region about four times the size of France.

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