Dalai Lama meets Obama amid row

US President Barack Obama has expressed his support for Tibetan rights in talks held at the White House with the Dalai Lama despite objections from China.

The meeting comes amid tension in US-Sino relations, with disputes simmering over US arms sales to Taiwan, claims of Chinese cyber-spying and trade deals.

China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, had warned the meeting would undermine relations.

The US downplayed China’s concerns but kept the meeting low-key.

The closed talks were held at the White House’s Map Room instead of the more official Oval Office, in an attempt to signal to China that it was a private, not a political meeting.

‘Champion of democracy’

Afterwards, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president expressed his “strong support” for Tibetan identity and the protection of Tibetans’ human rights in China.

Mr Obama praised the Dalai Lama’s commitment to nonviolence and “his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government,” the spokesman said.

Despite American attempts to keep the visit low-profile, the Dalai Lama spoke to reporters immediately outside the West Wing of the White House in comments that were broadcast live on international television.

He said he told Mr Obama of his admiration for the US as a “champion of democracy, freedom, human values” and creativity.

The White House had defended the decision to receive the Dalai Lama, saying he was “an internationally respected religious leader”. Mr Obama avoided meeting the Dalai Lama in Washington last year ahead of his own first state visit to Beijing.

US-CHINA TENSIONS
Google – China denies being behind an alleged cyber attack on the US search engine
Taiwan – a US sale of $6.4bn (£4bn) of defensive arms to Taiwan has angered Beijing
Tibet – China says a US meeting with the Dalai Lama would “undermine relations”
Trade – rows over imports and exports of meat, media, car tyres and raw materials
Iran – the US fears China will not back tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme
Climate – the US is disappointed at China’s tough position at the Copenhagen Summit
Citing the “high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues”, China’s foreign ministry had urged the US to call off the visit to “avoid any more damage to Sino-US relations”.

China, which took over Tibet in 1950, considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and tries to isolate the spiritual leader by asking foreign leaders not to see him.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has since been living in India.

Relations between the US and China have become frayed in recent months with US arms sales to Taiwan, a row over internet censorship and US criticisms that China holds its currency artificially weak to boost its exports.

The Dalia Lama has met every sitting US president since 1991, with each visit drawing Chinese ire.

But George W Bush’s meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2007 was the first time a sitting US president had appeared in public with the exiled Tibetan leader.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/8520542.stm

Published: 2010/02/18 19:10:19 GMT