China has thrown a temper tantrum over President Obama meeting the Dalai Lama at the White House. China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement demanding that the meeting be cancelled and if that didn't happen they would hold their breath until turning blue. Official US reaction: Have fun.
Beijing says White House meeting is 'gross interference in Chinese politics' and will damage China-US relations
Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House on Friday, despite objections from China, which has warned that the meeting would inflict grave damage on Sino-American relations.
The Tibetan spiritual leader is in the US on a speaking tour. The White House did not announce the meeting until late on Thursday, prompting a gruff complaint from Beijing, in what has become something of a diplomatic ritual whenever Obama meets the exiled Buddhist monk.
The two Nobel laureates spent an hour in the White House's Map Room, a step down in prestige from the Oval Office, where the president traditionally meets foreign heads of state. The meeting was closed to reporters.
China accused Obama of letting the Dalai Lama use the White House as a podium to promote anti-Chinese activities. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, said before the meeting that it was "a gross interference in China's domestic politics" and "a severe violation of the principles of international relations. It will inflict grave damages upon the China-US relationship".
