By Jesse Liebman --
February 4, 2010
President Barack Obama will welcome the Dalai Lama to the White House later this month for a meeting that is expected to further strain relations between China and the U.S.
Thursday's announcement could be potentially harmful as the U.S. wants China's assistance in solving nuclear tensions with Iran and North Korea, along with economic and climate change crises.
China condemned the meeting, since the nation believes the exiled Tibetan monk should be shunned worldwide as a principle of international relations.
Human rights activists consider a White House visit for the Nobel Peace laureate a powerful message to Tibetans and others struggling for human rights around the world. The Dalai Lama is renowned in much of the world as a figure of moral authority.
Ties between the U.S. and China were already suffering after the Obama administration announced last week a $6.4 billion arms sale package for Taiwan, the self-governing island China considers its own. The United States has also recently criticized China for Internet censorship, and Obama on Wednesday vowed to get tough with China in a currency dispute.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was pressed by reporters to name the date when the Dalai Lama would visit, but he didn't specify a date. The Dalai Lama's secretary has said the monk will be in Washington on Feb. 17-18.
Obama was under intense pressure to meet with the Dalai Lama after putting off a meeting in October. U.S. officials said at the time that Tibet could be better addressed in a November summit between Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao if Chinese leaders weren't furious over a recent Dalai Lama-Obama meeting.
