Barack Obama welcomes the Dalai Lama to the White House - as China condemns meeting

President Barack Obama held a White House meeting on Saturday with the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel Peace laureate, hours after China called on the U.S. to rescind an invitation that could sour relations with Beijing.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has been in Washington for an 11-day Buddhist ritual.

Thousands of expatriate Tibetans joined a 76th birthday celebration on Wednesday for the Dalai Lama, who recently relinquished leadership of Tibet's government-in-exile.

Welcome: Barack Obama meets with the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House

The White House said the 45-minute private session in the Map Room showed Obama's support for preserving Tibet's culture and protecting human rights, as well reaffirming his belief that Chinese government should engage with representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve their differences.

A Chinese crackdown led the Dalai Lama to flee into exile in India in 1959. China says he's welcome to return if he drops his separatist activities, accepts Tibet as an inalienable part of China and recognizes Taiwan as a province of China.

 

Hours before the Dalai Lama's arrival, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the White House to cancel the visit.

'We request the U.S. side to honor its serious commitment that recognizes Tibet as part of China and opposes Tibet independence,' Mr. Hong said.

'We firmly oppose any foreign official to meet with the Dalai Lama in any form,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.

Gathering: The Dalai Lama holds Whoopi Goldberg's hand during the World Peace event on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol last Saturday

Return visit: Mr Obama last met the Dalai Lama at the White House in February 2010

The White House kept the meeting low-key, closing it from the news media. It chose the Map Room for the visit instead of the Oval Office, which is reserved for visiting heads of state.

The visit comes less than ten days before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to visit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Vice President Joseph Biden is also scheduled to visit China this summer, followed by a trip to Washington by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

Obama had been criticised by pro-Tibetan activists for putting off an invitation during the Dalai Lama's stay in the capital.

White House officials said the president's schedule had been occupied with debt-limit negotiations with congressional leaders.

Obama last met the Dalai Lama in February 2010.