China and US Tensions High

The Dalai Lama met with President Obama today despite outright disapproval from Beijing. The Chinese consider the Dalai Lama a separatist, and Obama’s decision to go ahead with the meeting has been taken as an affront to the Chinese. The Dalai Lama is in favor an autonomous Tibet and is considered a threat to the Chinese republic.

During the meeting, Obama stressed his "strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans," according to a White House statement. The president applauded the Dalai Lama's "commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government," the statement added. He also stressed the importance of having both sides "engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences, and was pleased to hear about the recent resumption of talks," it noted.

China has threatened repeatedly that if the meeting between the High Lama and Obama occurred there would be serious consequences. The backdrop of this meeting is the US arms deal with Taiwan and censorship issues with Google’s search engine.

The fact that Obama invited the Dalai Lama into the Whitehouse has been a talking point this afternoon—having the Dalai come there seems like a political act, a sign of defiance. At this time, both China and the US need each other, strained relations could inhibit many global tasks that require both nations, most importantly, climate change.