Obama, Dalai Lama to meet at White House on Wednesday

“The President encouraged meaningful and direct dialogue between the Dalai Lama and his representatives with Chinese authorities to lower tensions and resolve differences”, the White House said.

Over objections from Beijing, President Obama met with the Dalai Lama at the White House Wednesday morning.

“China’s Foreign Ministry has launched its solemn representations with the United States side expressing our firm opposition to such arrangements”, Mr Lu told reporters.

Lu added that the meeting would ‘send a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking Tibet independence’.

In an interview with VOA, Myles Caggins, National Security Council spokesman for Asia, said the meeting was personal in nature.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is the reincarnated successor of Buddha.

The Dalai Lama says he simply wants a higher degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama officially retired in 2011 from his political role as the leader of the exiled Tibetan government, but remains the head of Tibetan Buddhists.

Josh Earnest, the White House Press Secretary, said Wednesday the meeting’s venue indicated that it was a personal greeting rather than formal bilateral talks.

Barack Obama and Dalai Lama have met, despite China’s threats of damaging relations with the former. The Tibetan spiritual leader also did not speak to the battery of reporters waiting for him.

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama … is a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion, who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings”, Obama said.

Taowen Le, a professor at Weber State University, believes it would be a mistake for elected officials to meet with the Dalai Lama when he visits Utah next week.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of using “spiritual terrorism” to seek independence for Tibet.

Clearing the White House’s stance of considering Tibet a part of China, the spokesperson said that the idea has not changed.

However, China’s Foreign Ministry said it had expressed its opposition to the meeting in “solemn representations” to the US Embassy in Beijing.

“The United States has not articulated our support for Tibetan independence”, he added.

“No matter in what way the U.S. leader met with the Dalai Lama, the meeting violated the United States promises of acknowledging Tibet as a part of China, not supporting Tibet independence and not supporting separatist activities”, Lu said.

Both Tibet and Taiwan are delicate political issues for China.

Beijing contends that Tibet is part of China. “Trust and friendship with neighbouring countries is essential; including the United States also”.

In recent years, many Tibetans have demonstrated against Chinese rule over their homeland, and more than 140 have set themselves on fire.