Dalai Lama to meet Obama at White House:
US President Barack Obama will receive the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House on february 18, despite Chinese warnings that the meeting could seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations.
The Dalai Lama arrived in Washington on Wednesday--the meeting will take place in a private room. That's an obscure issue of protocol, as the White House knows, that it makes a lot of difference to Beijing officials but none to American or Tibetan perceptions of the meeting.
Obama had postponed his meeting with the Dalai Lama in October 2009, in order to placate China in the run-up to his trip to Beijing.
Tibetan spiritual leader would seek US help in resolving the Tibet issue, despite Chinese opposition to the meet.
The Tibet's exiled leader would also meet the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the State Department announced.
Terming it as an important meeting, the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy, Lodi Gyari, said the Tibetan leader will speak about Tibet, and as two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, he and the President are likely to discuss global concerns. "His Holiness will be asking the President to help find a solution in resolving the Tibet issue that would be mutually beneficial to the Tibetan and Chinese people," Gyari said.
The Dalai Lama would also receive an award for his commitment to advancing the principles of democracy and human rights.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the meeting will happen in Map Room. "There will be an official photo released out of that," Gibbs said.
The visit comes despite Chinese opposition to it. China has urged the Obama Administration to cancel the meeting.
"Our relationship with China is diverse and there are a lot of issues. There's common ground. It's a complex relationship. There are areas where we agree on. There are areas where we disagree on," State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said.
"We are going to continue to pursue that relationship vigorously, while at the same time recognising, for example, the Dalai Lama, that he's a respected cultural and religious figure and, as with past presidents, we intend to meet with him," Toner said.
