The Guardian UK
Barack Obama accused of bowing to Beijing with Dalai Lama 'snub'
written by Matthew Weaver
Tuesday 6 October 2009 12.59 BST
Barack Obama has been accused of "kowtowing" to China by refusing to meet the Dalai Lama on his trip to Washington this week.
In what is being seen as a sign of the growing economic and diplomatic clout of Beijing, Obama has agreed to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader only after the US president has visited his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Beijing in November.
The apparent snub is a break with presidential tradition. Each of the last three presidents has met the Dalai Lama whenever he has travelled to Washington. He arrived in Washington yesterday, and will meet several other prominent politicians.
The White House says it can do more for the people of Tibet if its relations with China are good. "If the Tibet relationship is seen as an irritant to the US-China relationship, then that will cripple our ability to be of help," a senior official told the New York Times.
But Obama's opponents accused the president of putting economic interest ahead of human rights concerns. "The US is kowtowing to Beijing again by refusing to meet with His Holiness," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee.
Dana Rohrabacher, co-chairman of the Congressional Tibet Caucus, accused the White House of trying to "placate Chinese tyrants".
The respected US political blog Politico quoted a former Federal Reserve official as saying economic concerns lay behind the decision. "Bottom line: don't piss off your banker," the official reportedly said.
The Dalai Lama's envoy, Lodi Gyari, played down talk of a snub. He said the Dalai Lama had agreed to postpone his meeting with Obama after "taking a broader and long-term perspective". But privately, the Dalai Lama's aides are understood to be frustrated by Obama's decision.
Beijing usually objects strongly when the Dalai Lama travels away from his base in India. It has accused him of using religion as a pretext for dangerous separatism. The Chinese leadership was furious when George Bush awarded the Dalai Lama the congressional gold medal in 2007. It accused the US of "interfering in the internal affairs of China".
Barack Obama accused of bowing to Beijing with Dalai Lama 'snub'
written by Matthew Weaver
Tuesday 6 October 2009 12.59 BST
Barack Obama has been accused of "kowtowing" to China by refusing to meet the Dalai Lama on his trip to Washington this week.
In what is being seen as a sign of the growing economic and diplomatic clout of Beijing, Obama has agreed to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader only after the US president has visited his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Beijing in November.
The apparent snub is a break with presidential tradition. Each of the last three presidents has met the Dalai Lama whenever he has travelled to Washington. He arrived in Washington yesterday, and will meet several other prominent politicians.
The White House says it can do more for the people of Tibet if its relations with China are good. "If the Tibet relationship is seen as an irritant to the US-China relationship, then that will cripple our ability to be of help," a senior official told the New York Times.
But Obama's opponents accused the president of putting economic interest ahead of human rights concerns. "The US is kowtowing to Beijing again by refusing to meet with His Holiness," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee.
Dana Rohrabacher, co-chairman of the Congressional Tibet Caucus, accused the White House of trying to "placate Chinese tyrants".
The respected US political blog Politico quoted a former Federal Reserve official as saying economic concerns lay behind the decision. "Bottom line: don't piss off your banker," the official reportedly said.
The Dalai Lama's envoy, Lodi Gyari, played down talk of a snub. He said the Dalai Lama had agreed to postpone his meeting with Obama after "taking a broader and long-term perspective". But privately, the Dalai Lama's aides are understood to be frustrated by Obama's decision.
Beijing usually objects strongly when the Dalai Lama travels away from his base in India. It has accused him of using religion as a pretext for dangerous separatism. The Chinese leadership was furious when George Bush awarded the Dalai Lama the congressional gold medal in 2007. It accused the US of "interfering in the internal affairs of China".
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