China Warns Of Fallout From Obama-Dalai Meet
2/12/2010 1:58 AM ET
(RTTNews) - China wants the United States to cancel its decision to hold a meeting between President Barack Obama and and exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to prevent further deterioration of their ties.
Opposing the Dalai Lama visiting the United States and meeting with American leaders, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Friday that Beijing's position in this regard was "consistent and clear."
He said China had repeatedly representated to the U.S. over Obama's possible meeting with the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese conquest.
"We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognize Tibet as a part of China and oppose 'Tibet independence'," he was quoted as saying.
He also called on America to refrain from offering the 74-year-old Buddhist leader venue and "convenience for his engagement in anti-China activities" that, according to him, would undermine the stability of Tibet and interfere in China's internal affairs, besides avoiding further damage to Sino-U.S. relations.
The remarks came after the White House, overlooking repeated Chinese protests, said Obama would meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington February 18.
Obama avoided meeting with the Dalai Lama when the Buddhist monk was in Washington last autumn, not wanting to upset relations with China ahead of his visit to Beijing. He, however, told Chinese leaders during his trip to Beijing in November that he planned to meet with the Nobel laureate who is an internationally-respected religious leader and spokesman for Tibetan rights, but branded a "separatist" by Beijing.
Obama knows Chinese support is crucial at the U.N. Security Council for the sanctions he wants to impose on Iran for stepping up its suspect uranium-enrichment program.
The scheduled Obama-Dalai Meet in Washington is coming at a time when U.S.-Chinese relations hit a snag over financial and economic differences, and Washington's plans to sell a USD 6.4-billion package of its weapons to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its rogue province.
Till Richard Nixon reversed the American official bipartisan stance, Taiwan or Nationalist China, headed first by Chiang Kai-shek, was the official China, and was a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
by RTT Staff Writer
2/12/2010 1:58 AM ET
(RTTNews) - China wants the United States to cancel its decision to hold a meeting between President Barack Obama and and exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to prevent further deterioration of their ties.
Opposing the Dalai Lama visiting the United States and meeting with American leaders, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Friday that Beijing's position in this regard was "consistent and clear."
He said China had repeatedly representated to the U.S. over Obama's possible meeting with the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese conquest.
"We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognize Tibet as a part of China and oppose 'Tibet independence'," he was quoted as saying.
He also called on America to refrain from offering the 74-year-old Buddhist leader venue and "convenience for his engagement in anti-China activities" that, according to him, would undermine the stability of Tibet and interfere in China's internal affairs, besides avoiding further damage to Sino-U.S. relations.
The remarks came after the White House, overlooking repeated Chinese protests, said Obama would meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington February 18.
Obama avoided meeting with the Dalai Lama when the Buddhist monk was in Washington last autumn, not wanting to upset relations with China ahead of his visit to Beijing. He, however, told Chinese leaders during his trip to Beijing in November that he planned to meet with the Nobel laureate who is an internationally-respected religious leader and spokesman for Tibetan rights, but branded a "separatist" by Beijing.
Obama knows Chinese support is crucial at the U.N. Security Council for the sanctions he wants to impose on Iran for stepping up its suspect uranium-enrichment program.
The scheduled Obama-Dalai Meet in Washington is coming at a time when U.S.-Chinese relations hit a snag over financial and economic differences, and Washington's plans to sell a USD 6.4-billion package of its weapons to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its rogue province.
Till Richard Nixon reversed the American official bipartisan stance, Taiwan or Nationalist China, headed first by Chiang Kai-shek, was the official China, and was a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
by RTT Staff Writer