It seems that United States Government has escalated a mounting row on multiple fronts with Chinese Government, refusing Beijing's demand to cancel President Barrack Obama's meeting next week with the Dalaim Lama. The rising tension spat over Tibet, a row over US arms sales to Taiwan, China's dispute with Google and trade and currency disagreements, come at a key diplomatic moment, as Obama seeks Chinese help to toughen sanctions on Iran.
The White House announced on Thursday that Obama would hold his long-awaited meeting with the revered Dalai Lama at the White House next week, drawing an angry reaction from China and a demand for the invitation to be cancelled. But Obama's spokesperson Robert Gibbs signaled the White House would defy Chinas's warning that the encounter would damage already strained Sino-US relations.Obama avoided the Dalai Lama when the latter was in Washington in 2009, in an apparent bid to set relations with Beijing off on a good foot in the first year of a presidency which included several meetings with President Hu Jin-tao.
But he warned Chinese leaders on an inaugural visit to Beijing in November that he intended to meet the Buddhist monk. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said earlier that Beijing firmly opposed "the Dalai Lama visisting the United States and US leaders having contact with him."China urges the US, to immediately call off the wrong decision of arranging for President Obama to meet with the Dalai Lama....to avoid anymore damage to Sino-US relations".
Well as most of us know The Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959, after a failed uprising against the Chinese Government.He denies he wants independence for Tibet, insisting he is looking only for "meaningful autonomy". Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama will take place in the White House Map Room and not, in an apparent effort to mollify China, in the Oval Office,where US presidents normally meet VIPs and visiting government chiefs.
