Buddhism in the Modern Society

Dalai Lama Meets Obama

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G.W.Bush

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Barack Obama held a meeting at the White House Saturday with the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace boy, just hours after China called on the United States to withdraw an invitation that would poison relations with Beijing.

The Tibetan spiritual leader was in Washington for a Buddhist ritual of 11 days. Thousands of Tibetans expatriates joined a 76th birthday Wednesday the Dalai Lama, who has to abandon the leadership of the Tibetan government in exile.

The White House said that during the private session of 45 minutes in the chart room, Obama "underlined the importance of protecting the human rights of Tibetans in China." In a statement issued after the meeting, including the White House said Mr. Obama reiterated his support for the preservation of religious traditions, culture and language of Tibet.

Obama said the U.S. policy that does not support Tibetan independence, the goal that the Dalai Lama also said, do not blow.

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In a nod to criticism from Beijing, Obama also stressed that the Dalai Lama he sees as a partnership between the U.S. and China are important, the statement from the White House.

In his remarks after the meeting sent by Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet said the Dalai Lama during his visit to Obama: "First, we have developed a kind of feeling close to each other." He said that Obama expressed concern about basic human values, human rights and religious freedoms. "So of course it shows the suffering real concern about Tibet and elsewhere."

In China's crackdown led to the Dalai Lama into exile in India in 1959. China says it is not welcome to return if he falls to his separatist activities, accepts Tibet as an inalienable part of China and recognize Taiwan as a province of China.Hours before the arrival of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the White House to cancel the visit.

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"We are firmly opposed to any foreign official to meet with the Dalai Lama in any form," spokesman of Foreign Ministry Hong Lei said in a statement posted on the ministry website.

"We ask the Americans to take a serious commitment to recognize Tibet as part of China and opposes the independence of Tibet," Hong said.

The White House held a discreet, close by journalists and photographers news. The Map Room of the visit selected instead of the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state.

The visit is less than 10 days before U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton is to visit the southern city of Shenzhen China. Vice President Joseph Biden is also scheduled to visit China this summer, and then in Washington by a Chinese colleague, Xi Jinping.


dalai lama meets obama

Obama has been criticized by pro-Tibet activists during the postponement of an invitation to suspend the Dalai Lama in the capital. White House officials said the president was occupied by the calendar, debt negotiations with the leaders of the Congress of the border.

Obama last meeting with the Dalai Lama in February 2010.