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Dalai Lama to visit White House

Story Added : 05th February 2010

The Dalai Lama will be welcomed at the White House later this month, despite China's anger at the Tibetan spiritual leader's planned meeting with President Barack Obama, an official said.

The White House has tried to play down a fierce row with China over a number of issues, and says it believes Beijing will continue to help confront Iran's nuclear challenge despite its reluctance to embrace sanctions.

With economic, political and diplomatic storms rocking the US-China relationship, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is being pressed to name the date of the Dalai Lama's expected visit to the White House.

"He will be here later this month," Mr Gibbs said.

But he says he cannot give an exact date or venue for the meeting, or confirm if Mr Obama and the Dalai Lama will appear together.

Despite China's mounting protest about the visit, Mr Gibbs says China's President Hu Jintao was informed the meeting would go ahead when he met with Mr Obama in Beijing in November.

Mr Obama declined a meeting with the Dalai Lama in the United States before his visit to China last year, in an apparent bid to get his ties with Beijing off on the right foot.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu says the Chinese government "resolutely opposes" the Dalai Lama's visit to the US, and any meetings with US leaders.

"We urge the US side to clearly recognise the high sensitivity of the Tibet issue, and handle related issues carefully and appropriately to avoid causing more harm to Sino-US ties," he said.

- AFP

Story Added by ABC.
Date Added : 05th February 2010

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