WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama personally welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House on Thursday but kept their get-together off-camera and low-key in an attempt to avoid inflaming tensions with China.
Obama told the exiled spiritual leader that he backs the preservation of Tibet’s culture and supports human rights for its people. He also gave encouragement to the Dalai Lama’s request for talks with the Chinese government.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu later said in a website statement that China expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to the meeting.
Meetings between the Dalai Lama and U.S. presidents became standard fare under President George H.W. Bush nearly 20 years ago. But the choreography is always delicate and closely watched because of China’s sensitivity.
Revered in much of the world, the Dalai Lama is seen by Beijing as a separatist seeking to overthrow Chinese rule of Tibet. Though he says that is untrue, China regards any official foreign leader’s contact with the Buddhist monk as an infringement on its sovereignty.
China is a rising global rival for the U.S. and a hoped-for partner. So concern about reprisals, in the form of reduced cooperation with Washington or other punitive steps, has led U.S. presidents, including Obama, to tread carefully.
There was no welcome fanfare Thursday, nor a public appearance with the president. The White House released only a single official picture rather than allow independent photographers and reporters to see the two men together.
