China urged the United States to cancel a scheduled meeting between President Barack Obama and exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House today, saying such a meeting would harm relations.
The White House announced yesterday that Obama would speak with the Dalai Lama about Tibet in their first meeting in more than a year. The announcement upset China, which was already on edge about the Dalai Lama's meetings with US congressional leaders and the potential for a US debt default.
"This meeting underscores the president's strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans," the White House said in a statement.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement on the ministry's website: "We firmly oppose any senior foreign government officials meeting with the Dalai Lama in any way."
Mr Hong said China called on the United States to "cancel the decision for Obama to meet the Dalai Lama as soon as possible, and not do anything that could interfere with China's internal affairs or harm China-U.S. relations."
China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist who supports the use of violence to set up an independent Tibet.
The Nobel Prize laureate denies this, saying he wants a peaceful transition to autonomy for the remote Himalayan region that China has ruled with an iron fist since 1950, when Chinese troops marched in.
There was no immediate comment from the White House on China's call for the meeting to be cancelled.
Beijing warned the United States to stay out of its affairs last week after top lawmakers including House of Representatives speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi met the Dalai Lama during his 10-day visit to Washington.
Today's meeting in the White House Map Room is expected to last at least 30 minutes and will be closed to the news media. The Obama administration said the question of Tibet is likely to come up during the meeting.
"The president will highlight his enduring support for dialogue between the Dalai Lama's representatives and the Chinese government to resolve differences," the White House said in the statement issued yesterday.
Reuters