China Urges US To Cancel Meeting With Dalai Lama

BEIJING — China urged the United States on Friday to immediately cancel plans for President Barack Obama to meet with the Dalai Lama next week, warning the move could further hurt ties.

The meeting is likely to enflame tensions between China and the United States, already strained over disputes over trade issues and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu issued the remarks hours after Washington announced Obama would meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader at the White House on Feb. 18.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan independence, which the Dalai Lama denies, and believes that shunning the exiled Tibetan monk should be a basic principle of international relations. Obama has been under intense pressure to meet with the Dalai Lama after putting off a meeting in October.

"We urge the U.S. side to fully understand the high sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, honor its commitment to recognizing Tibet as part of China and opposing 'Tibet independence,'" Ma said.

The U.S. should cancel the meeting "so as not to cause further damage to Sino-U.S. relations," Ma said in a statement. Ma did not specify what consequences would arise from such a meeting. Chinese President Hu Jintao may possibly visit Washington in April.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama looked forward to an "engaging and constructive dialogue" with the Dalai Lama.

Gibbs said the United States and China had a mature relationship that could withstand differences on some issues.

"We know that two countries on this planet are not always going to agree on everything and we'll have those disagreements," Gibbs said.

China-U.S. relations have been strained in recent weeks over several issues: Washington announcing a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing claims as its own; U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging Beijing to investigate hacking attacks that led to Google's threat to pull out of China; and Obama vowing to get tough with China on a currency dispute.

At the same time, U.S. officials welcomed Beijing's approval of a visit by the USS Nimitz carrier to Hong Kong.

"We think it's important – an important part of our ... not only outreach and engagement with the Chinese people but an important dimension of our military-to-military relationship," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

Hong Kong media have reported that the visit could take place next week.

Tibet and Taiwan are China's most sensitive issues. China has already threatened to punish U.S. companies involved in any arms sales to Taiwan and has suspended military exchanges with Washington.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against China, leads a government-in-exile in India. Beijing often lodges protests against his travel abroad and meetings with heads of state.

Every U.S. president for the last two decades has met with the Dalai Lama, who enjoys widespread support in the United States, and those visits are considered powerful signs of the American commitment to human rights. Obama told China's leaders last year that he would meet with the monk.

Comments

[quintus]

01:24 AM on 02/16/2010

It is always a sad thing to see a human mind unhinged as yours so obviously is. May you get the help you need.

[mike72]

10:02 PM on 02/15/2010

To quintus the indian boy and the everywhere indian guy,

Have I bust your pycotherapy session yet?

But sincerely, I can understand your frustation over China. But China is really not your problem. The absolute human unjust in Indian and the absolute filth of Indian slumps are. If you have an once of conciences, you should start working hard on making India a managalbe living environment.

Smearing China is not going to help you. It might be a brief pycotherapy session and falsely make you feel uplifted for a second. But it will just put you down further and further because you are refusing the real problem of "fatalism" and "defeatism" so pervalent in India.

Best wish for you to tackel on the human rights abuses in Indian happening in broad day light, day in and day out. And best wishes for you to work on shutting down that h*ellish cast system of yours, which is 1000 times worst than the naz*is system.

[quintus]

11:36 PM on 02/15/2010

Firstly and lastly, I am not East Indian.

What your short sightedness fails to grasp is that people like myself are not exclusively nationalistic like you. We see the big picture: we are all interdependently connected on this small endangered planet. If I wanted to ratchet down my view, I could define myself as a white American male living in the Pacific Northwest, but I find that unhelpful and limiting. My perspective is that I am a sentient being living in a world of other sentient beings. All of us are subject to sickness, old age, and death. All of us want happiness and wish to avoid suffering. In that respect, we are all the same. Even you and I are the same in this regard. I not only care about what is happening in my neighborhood, city, state, or country, I care about what is happening in the world. I care about other human beings who are suffering. I care about injustice wherever it is. The U.S., Afghanistan, China, Haiti, it doesn't matter.

[mike72]

12:46 AM on 02/16/2010

You really need a mental therapist. I feel very sorry for your sense of frustration hiding behind those empty big words of yours.

[mike72]

12:50 AM on 02/16/2010

I care about your human being conditioin. I really do. May your concience find an escape to keep it in peace.

[quintus]

11:36 PM on 02/15/2010

I am not "smearing" China, as you say; what I am doing is speaking out on the injustices there, speaking out against those in power who are abusing and mistreating others. Tibetans are not the only minority who are suffering, but their plight is perhaps most egregious because the Chinese communists invaded their country, killed tens of thousands of it's inhabitants, destroyed every single one of their monasteries, etc. I could go on and on. This has been going on for more than fifty years. What the CCP has done and continues to do in Tibet is a great injustice and people like myself will continue to speak out on it at every opportunity.

You can't stop people like me from speaking out. My hope for you is that one day you will also get the bigger picture and realize you are aligned with the forces of darkness. When that happens, maybe you'll join myself and others who are all working towards a better, more compassionate world for all sentient beings in the world.

[mike72]

12:38 AM on 02/16/2010

It is quite a rush, isn't it? Every time you click on that Post comment on yet another one of the hundreds of comments you made smearing China. It feels like a drug addict taking a long draw to briefly let go of that huge frustration that is building up in that mentally sinful reservior of yours. You know Tibet is not a real issue. You know whatever you say has no impact yet you would still pepper hundreds of comments of smearing.

Hiding behind the rethorcial of your British masters, and hiding bhind another persona is not going to help you. The frustration is eating you up. You can not help it but click on another Post Comment button again, sending out yet another smearing statement. It is the only way for you to get "high"

Never mind that fact that you CHOSE to USEFULLY QUIET when you are living on occupied Native American land. That fact will only get you more frustrated. You want satisfaction of a sense of superiority and the reality is too depressive. So you project your moral perfection on another people as a brief escape from your concience.

You must face yourself. You must face yourself. In both the physical and historical mirror. Projecting your sense of just on others while taking exception on yourself is not going to solve your problem.

[cbvani]

09:28 AM on 02/15/2010

The key to peace is to play the game of 'business' with China. The moment many major American companies pull out of China for elsewhere is the moment you need to become worried about a war. The world can transition to a multi-polar state peacefully, so long as everyone plays the business game. As long as we are doing that, war is far too expensive to contemplate. So this whole idea of "pulling out" of China.... reconsider it. Business is good for peace, and peace is good for business.

[quintus]

12:03 PM on 02/15/2010

The key to peace = business? They don't equate. Doing business with China will not address the human rights situation there and in Tibet. There is no incentive for China to reform their behavior.

[mike72]

01:00 PM on 02/15/2010

The practical business folks find your push for Tibet independence a completely useless and impractical nonsense. Business and development are what bring prosperity around the world, not your impractical push for ____ independence and ______ independence and _____ independence. (fill up the blank yourself)

You pepper your comments nonstop in HuffPost yet you have never done one single post on pushing for Native American independence. This just shows how hypocritic you are: that when you are living in occupied Native American land, you conveniently CHOSE to be PRACTICAL and USEFUL by keep your mouth shut. Yet you would love to project your non-practical opinions on others, as long as you are not on the receiving end.

[wereeverywhere]

01:59 PM on 02/15/2010

I remember when China was granted favored nation status by US it was supposed to magically transform China to an enlightened, human rights loving country by the invisible hand of capital. This struggle for Tibetans isn't going to be won by commodities but by long term siege (thank gods for high mountains).

[iceburg]

08:30 AM on 02/15/2010

Obama's administration has made a handful of right decisions in dealing with the Chinese communist regime. But that's far from sufficient. American companies should wait patiently until the world's last communist regime topples from inside. It is partly because of the American business in China that fuels the regime and makes it arrogant and ambitious.

[mike72]

08:54 AM on 02/15/2010

Your comment is as useful as qunitus pushing for Tibetan indepdenence, and as useful as me pushing for Native American indepdendence, and THUS as useful as the three squres, single ply tissue paper I just flushed down the toilet.

Very good!

[quintus]

12:05 PM on 02/15/2010

I fear if we wait for the Chinese regime to topple, we will be waiting for a very long time. Tibetans are still waiting to get their country back.

[mike72]

12:51 PM on 02/15/2010

I strongly suggest you raise arms to start a war with China on behave of Tibet.

Waiting is quite an annoying game. The Native Americans are still waiting. Take a number, buddy.

[mike72]

01:06 PM on 02/15/2010

And I strongly suggest you to charge first on the front line. Your service to the great cause of Tibetan Independence will be honored and well remembered.

[AirViceMarshalPark]

04:25 AM on 02/15/2010

Walmart doesn't want Obama to meet with the Dali Lama either. I wonder why?

[mike72]

04:27 AM on 02/15/2010

Maybe because Walmart does not play political game?

[quintus]

12:07 PM on 02/15/2010

Yes, China is largely responsible for Walmart's success. Keep those cheap, defective Chinese products pouring in. Maybe Walmart is a shell company run by the CCP?

[crackajack]

04:16 AM on 02/15/2010

China will seize Taiwan with all the weapons sold by the U.S.

[mike72]

04:32 AM on 02/15/2010

They are outdated junk.

US sold weapon to Taiwan to create a pressure point for China to back down from supporting Iran.

Check out what Hilary is doing now: calling Iranian government not "technically" a democracy anymore.

One-Two-Three punchs on China so it can not stop yet another US invasion to pull itself off the weak dollar and the debt mud. The perfect storm is brewing. And you guys have no clue what is going on and continue yapping about how "technically" Tibet was not part of China while the all governments in the world recognized Tibet as part of China.

[cbvani]

10:00 AM on 02/15/2010

Mike, watch the business section closely. When more companies start pulling resources out of China, that is when you need to be worried about war.
And Tibet is such a non-issue. There is literally zero anyone outside of Beijing can do about it, so why bother?

[mike72]

10:51 AM on 02/15/2010

I know Tibet issue is a non-issue. All the shadowy characters on this discussion forum were yapping ABOUT CHINA, NOT ABOUT TIBET. If they have the heart, logics and commone sense for Tibet, they would have felt so shameful of continuing occupying the Native American land and left for where they came from FOR GOOD, already.

If Tibet was somewhere in Africa or if Tibet was a tribe in America, you won't hear a beep about it.

I am playing along with them with a bitc*hy attitude to expose their moronic, illogical, completely useless, hypocritical and adolesent natures of their so-called arguments.

[bbnz]

12:32 AM on 02/15/2010

I suggest we begin to care about China's opinion when China allows it's own people to speak and act freely. This is one of the last bastions of Communism and as far as I'm concerned we shouldn't even trade with them. How can we justify an embargo against Cuba when the abuse in that country is insignificant in comparison? We just default on the money we owe them and let the chinese economy crash & burn.

[quintus]

12:46 AM on 02/15/2010

Yes, I'm in agreement with you on trade with China. Big foreign policy gaff. And now we owe them all this money. We really lost the moral imperative when we decided to get into bed with them.

And where were we when they invaded Tibet?

[mike72]

03:34 AM on 02/15/2010

"We"? Dont' kid yourself. You are just an instigator hiding behind someone's shadow.

[Tim303]

02:47 AM on 02/15/2010

Copy.

[quintus]

08:32 PM on 02/14/2010

For all the CCP loyalists posting here, a little YouTube clip of Shaolin Temple, a Cha'n Buddhist Monastery in China where Buddhism is still practiced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIKWJes7TBc

I understand Tibetan Buddhism is becoming increasing popular in China, especially among the educated class.

Maybe you should check it out? After all, Buddhism flourished in your country for many, many years.

[mike72]

09:26 PM on 02/14/2010

You are an Indian boy who is still can't get away from the tramatic experience from the abuse of your former British masters. But you are so afraid of facing the abuser so you turn to your neighbors to get your frustrations off.

Go bang on a wall. It might help you better in getting the load off.

[quintus]

10:16 PM on 02/14/2010

You're hilarious! How on earth did you conclude I'm an East Indian?

No, sorry, I'm a white American.

[Mum]

11:16 PM on 02/14/2010

What a bizarre comment! I can't even begin to figure out how you think your comment relates to the one made by quintus.

[saneinsanity]

06:27 PM on 02/14/2010

ah my comments that would provide information on the real situation on tibet is gone :(

[khanti]

07:13 PM on 02/14/2010

Hi joey

[herecomes]

06:11 PM on 02/14/2010

Sometimes it is wise to leave out one's emotions and think about this issue carefully and logically,

The truth is, Tibet will never become a sovereign country, regardless of what your opinion is. Dalai Lama does not officially support full Independence.

Another issue is that the meetings between the U.S presidents and the Dalai Lama have always been symbolic and used to build political leverage against China. The U.S. does not officially support Tibet independence.

And finally, understand there is no perfect government in the world, all governments are tattooed with sins, just some more than others.

[quintus]

06:31 PM on 02/14/2010

First of all, you should never say never. Unexpected things occur.

Yes, the Dalai Lamas is a prqctical man and realizes the best he can hope for, given the intractable nature of the CCP, is autonomy, but even that will never be granted under the current leadership.

The visit IS largely symbolic,and as far as I can tell, has never resulted in giving the U.S. political leverage against China.

As for not supporting independence, this is a grave mistake in our foreign policy. Except for India, who allowed refugees fleeing Tibet a safe haven after China's invasion, the rest of the world turned their backs on Tibet. Why? Because it wasn't in their own selfish interests to come to it's aid. A sad fact.

[mike72]

04:14 AM on 02/15/2010

A sad fact? How about JUST A FACT? How about the simple fact that all governments in the world recognized Tibet as part of China.

Let me repeat a simple statement to your dum.* f* ear to get through: ALL GOVERNMENTS IN THE WORLD RECOGNIZED TIBET AS PART OF CHINA.

You spent all your time going to back to the Yuan dynasty, the Qing dynasty and Chinese nationalist government to find "technical" disparity to assert that Tibet is not part of China. YET THE SIMPLE FACT IS: ALL GOVERNMENTS IN THE WORLD RECOGNIZED TIBET AS PART OF CHINA.

Maybe you have a better chance champion for getting all European descends off Native Americans land?

[Libertarian79]

03:52 PM on 02/14/2010

China is not doing itself any favors.
China has zero soft power .... they are right there with Saudi Arabia.
They are still playing from Mao's playbook. They are trying to treat rest of the world like they treat their own citizens.

[mike72]

04:03 PM on 02/14/2010

China is doing things best in its own interests. It is not doing any favors to anybody in this world.

China is going after the hard power. It will be a while before it can go after the soft power game. But it is overated anyway.

Be careful with Saudi ... they are the close allies of USA. You don't want to associate the "zero-soft-power" China with the well connected Saudis, right?

[wereeverywhere]

04:17 PM on 02/14/2010

"Be careful with Saudi ... they are the close allies of USA. You don't want to associate the "zero-soft-power" China with the well connected Saudis, right?"

I'll jump on that comparison. Though each country and society has specifics that make a comparison tricky, each shares in a brutal, human rights denying legacy where the state enjoys power at the expense of their citizens self expression and development. Both countries illustrate a reactionary and unfortunate attempt at coping with modernity.

[quintus]

05:04 PM on 02/14/2010

Yes, we already know China's aim is to be the planet's top dog. It's called imperialism and China has it bad.

[mike72]

03:37 PM on 02/14/2010

Quintus:

I just want you to explain one simple thing:

If Tibet were an independent country to begin with, how come it declared TWICE for independence from China in 1904 and 1934?

The lamas must be very bored and wanted to do some prank calls on China, I guess. :)

I hope you don't discredit the above two incidents as they were well recorded in history.

Now I am patiently waiting for your reply.

[wereeverywhere]

03:43 PM on 02/14/2010

Are you seriously suggesting that once a sovereign nation is colonized, it loses it's right to self-determination in perpetuity? Yikes, I'm glad the Irish, who were owned by the Brits for centuries, weren't held to that logic or the whole island would still be under the English thumb. And the Irish had already lost their language centuries ago and shared a common religion with their occupiers.

[mike72]

03:55 PM on 02/14/2010

Of course you can. The US did it with an independence war and with the treated signed with Great Britain. And when the US South declared independence from US, they fought a war and lost and they were back to the US by force.

You can not simply declare independence and call it the end. The country you declare independence from must sign the treaty of concent. China did so with Outer Mongolian. And Outer Mongolia is now an independent country.

If your logics is correct, I would really like to declare independence from USA on April 15th each year so I don't have to pay tax. Too bad, USA does not have the same sensative view as you did.

Same for China.

[mike72]

03:59 PM on 02/14/2010

Also, I would like to call out the history that Tibet had called China as the Centural Government since the Yuan dynasty. It is only on 1904, under the British influence (yeah those worm-like Brits working hard on divide and conquer around the world) that the Lamas declared independence from the Qing dynasty. Qing court rejected.

Same for 1934. Chinese Nationalist government (the govenrment now in Taiwain) reject the same call.

So you see, things never seem as simple as you would image it to be.

[quintus]

04:52 PM on 02/14/2010

I've already posted a chronology of Tibetan history and handily refuted all of the CCP's arguments claiming Tibet is part of China. It's a waste of time engaging with you. You are as dumb as a r.ock.

[mike72]

04:07 AM on 02/15/2010

No, you never explained why Tibet needed to DECLARE INDEPENDENCE from China if it was an indepdenent country to begin with. Your explanation was on how "technically" Tibet is not similar to other parts of China under the rules of Yuan Court and Qing Court.

You see all those slicky advertisement by the banks on radio? They will fast talk with a list of exceptions at the end of the radio advertisment. You are like one of those slicky bank advertiser.

[Kandahar]

03:17 PM on 02/14/2010

Time to nook China.

[mike72]

03:40 PM on 02/14/2010

And you are an Indian talking trash behind your masters' back? With due respect I think you will get nook WAY BEFORE China.

[Kandahar]

12:51 AM on 02/15/2010

Oh mo fo..fk off! take your little pen!s and shove it up your tiny butt.

[quintus]

01:36 PM on 02/14/2010

C.rap and lies.

[mike72]

03:47 AM on 02/15/2010

quintus boy is the totality of c*rap and li*es

[JJinWI]

12:47 PM on 02/14/2010

"Washington announcing a $6.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan"....

What a pathetic and tragic story this country's foreign relations and policies have become.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4BE6KB20081216

Ike was right, and so few listened.

[quintus]

01:11 PM on 02/14/2010

I disagree: I'm quite glad that Taiwan has a deterrent to China's imperialistic designs on Taiwan. Too bad we weren't there to discourage China's invasion of Tibet.

[mike72]

03:43 PM on 02/14/2010

Just like Sri Lanka is a great deterent to you Indians' ambition to the Arab oil routes?

[omobob]

05:15 PM on 02/14/2010

Or Chaing Ki Sheks invasion of Taiwan, founded on the blood of intellectuals, teachers, writers, doctors and any native Taiwanese who deified the Chinese military occupation of Taiwan.

[Kandahar]

03:06 PM on 02/14/2010

fk China

[mike72]

03:43 PM on 02/14/2010

Go ahead if you can, Indian flies.