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Latest update: 03/02/2010
- Barack Obama - China - Dalai Lama
China hardens tone as White House confirms Dalai Lama meeting
China has reacted angrily to US President Barack Obama's decision to confirm a planned meeting with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled leader, reflecting growing tension between the two countries.
REUTERS - China warned U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday that a meeting between him and the Dalai Lama would further erode ties between the two powers, already troubled by Washington's arms sales to Taiwan.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that Obama would meet the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader reviled by Beijing as a separatist for seeking self-rule for his mountain homeland.
China's angry response reflected deepening tension between the world's biggest and third-biggest economies, with Beijing noting that President Hu Jintao himself urged Obama not to meet the exiled Tibetan leader.
Ma Zhaoxu, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said his government "resolutely opposes the leader of the United States having contact with the Dalai under any pretext or in any form".
During Hu's summit with Obama in Beijing last November, the Chinese leader "explained China's stern position of resolutely opposing any government leaders and officials meeting the Dalai", said Ma.
"We urge the U.S. to fully grasp the high sensitivity of the Tibetan issues, to prudently and appropriately deal with related matters, and avoid bringing further damage to China-U.S. relations," said Ma.
China's ire at the White House announcement was predictable, as was the White House's confirmation of the meeting, which has long been flagged.
But the flare-up comes soon after Beijing lashed Washington over a $6.4 billion U.S. weapons package for Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing deems an illegitimate breakaway province.
It also comes during Sino-U.S. tensions over the value of China's currency, trade protectionism and Internet freedoms.
Beijing gets pushy
Beijing has become increasingly assertive about opposing the Dalai Lama's meetings with foreign leaders, and the issue is a volatile theme among patriotic Chinese, who see Western criticism of Chinese policy in Tibet as meddling.
Protests over Chinese rule in Tibet that upset the London and Paris legs of the torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympics drew angry counter-protests by Chinese abroad and demonstrations in China urging boycotts of French goods.
When French President Nicolas Sarkozy would not pull out of meeting the Dalai Lama while his country held the rotating presidency of the European Union in late 2008, China cancelled a summit with the EU and there were Chinese calls for boycotts of French goods.
On Tuesday, a Chinese Communist Party official said any meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama "would seriously undermine the political basis of Sino-U.S. relations".
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese Communist Party forces who entered the region from 1950. He says he wants true autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty, but Beijing says his demands amount to seeking outright independence.
Previous U.S. presidents, including Obama's predecessor George W. Bush, have met the Dalai Lama, drawing angry words from Beijing but no substantive reprisals.
China's latest statement did not mention any specific retaliation over Obama's planned meeting.
"I think it indicates their nervousness in the issue of Tibet ... the wider world recognising that there is problem in Tibet and China should do something about it," said Thubten Samphel, spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, northern India.
The White House shrugged off Beijing's earlier warnings about the meeting, which may happen as early as this month.
"The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters.
"We expect that our relationship with China is mature enough where we can work on areas of mutual concern such as climate, the global economy and non-proliferation and discuss frankly and candidly those areas where we disagree."
The United States says it accepts that Tibet is a part of China and wants Beijing to open up dialogue with the Dalai Lama about the future of the region.
But a Chinese foreign policy analyst said the response from Beijing, increasingly assertive on what it sees as core concerns, would be tougher than Washington anticipates.
"China wants to change the rules of the game," Yuan Peng, head of US studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper.
"Though the U.S. has previously sold weapons to Taiwan and met the Dalai Lama, and we've then railed at the United States, this time there'll be true cursing and retaliation."
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Comments (15)
stand up america!!! since
stand up america!!! since when do we take instructions from the chinese regarding who we can meet with. call their bluff. remember this is a democracy and we support freedom of speech.
funny chinese
in the eyes of world we see the chinese government is like a child who used to jealousy of his friend or other peoples progress. trying best to pull down from the foot at his full effort.the people from the world laugh at them and now at abroad many people started to look down upon the chinese people due to their governments deeds. i am almost sure that one day the chinese in europe and america will surfer a lot.
tibet
i think games are more important than politics right? but the Tibetan issue is completely different because the suffering Tibetans are undergoing is immensely dangerous and unimaginable thats why in some way Chinese are destroying tibet and the nation
free tibet
hu jinto.
why u are doing bad thing on tibet issue?
fear of loosing the secret if so
there by i had a great concern about this issue infact its so common of meeting between the leaders dispite of which chinese propagantists always have somthing againt with this issue mean clear that there are very much fear of loosing their fake truth for one nation behind,which always lies in six million tibetains.
China/Tibet
It is true that no nation has the right to meddle in internal Chinese affairs, it is also true that China cannot make demands of other nation's leaders or people, Obama is head of a democracy and is therefore free to meet whomever he wishes, if the Chinese don't like it tough. I object to Chinese leaders visiting my country since they lead a country with appalling human rights, however, they are legitimate visitors welcomed by my own government, I must accept it, as so do the Chinese. They will learn that in a democracy it's all about compromise, you don't get everything your own way! Stop whinging China, everyone is sick of your bitching and let's face it, you'd do anything for money! If there was a profit to be made from the Dalai Lama you'd gladly back Him!!!!
A case of collective paranoia
It is abudantly clear that the Chinese leadership is suffering from an acute paranoia; it fears that the international community is working round the clock, covertly and seditiously under the leadership of the United States Government,against the Chinese Government on the issue of Tibet; it is also paranoid of the Dalai lama who`s moral authority is unparalleled anywhere in the world and the coming meeting between President Obama and the Dalai lama has greatly accentuated the paranoia-syndrome of the collective Chinese leadership. Sonam Topga from India
a case of paranoia
It seems that the chinese leadership is suffering from an incurable paranoia; it is hell bent upon thinking that the western powers are working against them on the tibetan issue round the clock and united states is the prime power behind the perceived international conspiracy; the chinese leadeship is also paranoid of the dalai lama whom they fear more than anything else in the world because of his unparalleled moral authority that the world recognizes and respects. The outburst of the chinese against president obama meeting the dalai lama soon, is the manifestation of the paranoia-syndrome which seems to have taken over the entire communist leadership.
News of China's opp. to Dalai Lama's Visit to White house
China's opposition is worthless.It is a mockery of International relations to oppose in such a away. The oppsion would be worthy if Dalai Lama is allowed to initiates any offensive activity against China on His visit.
You are very Impartial and trustful in your news broadcast. thanks.
sincerely.,
Pramod Maheshwari
china... can do anything to
china...
can do anything to their own people...time has come for chinese to wake up and through their orthodox belief and system which gradually fading its popularity,,
Tibet is a part of China
There is no doubt Tibet is a part of China, so is Taiwan. Everything about Tibet and Taiwan is China's internal affairs. US and other countries have no rights to interfere forever. It's none of your business. Remember!
Internal Affair and China
Beijing always says China would not interfere foreign internal affair. People don't know why Beijing interfere to prevent the meeting of Obama and Dalai Lama.
Dalai Lama
I think anyone can see whoever he/she wants to see or meet, that is democracy.I had not read any comment nor reaction from the USA when China met up with Iran President, Valenzuela's Chaves or with anyone.
be careful
why is it tht america is somehow involved in a negative way in all major conflicts egthey seem to siding one side of every conflict instead of trying to broker peace this actually prolongs wars and they do this because they have advantages that they gain in conflicts
Cut the size of China is a safer way to the world community
China is a country with some very aggressive policies. So far, Dalai Lama has proven to seek a "peaceful" way to self-rule his mountain homeland , and there is another self-ruled island , Taiwan is another example that without China's interfereing , and Chinese threatening , provoking befaviour , human live is so much more respected.
Seeing how China's economy growth in the recent years, China has increased their unreasonable demands around the gloab.The way to get China to be a valuable contributor in the world community is to cut the "size" of China, so China don't have a "false" sense of Leading position , if a world is led by a country like China, then there will be no human rights, no freedom of any sorts.
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