Bush and Dalai Lama meet despite China's anger

Get the latest Flash player

sirdollys
October 17, 2007

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush met privately with the Dalai Lama at the White House, as tensions escalated between the United States and China over Congress's awarding its highest civilian honor to the exiled leader.

The 30-minute meeting Tuesday, which the Dalai Lama said included a discussion of Tibet and Myanmar, was fraught with symbolism and cloaked in secrecy, an effort by the White House to avoid further angering the Chinese.

The session was held upstairs in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House residence, not the Oval Office, to send a message that Bush was receiving a spiritual leader, not a political one.

Aides to Bush declined to disclose details, and the White House would not release a photograph of the two together, as it has during previous visits.

"We in no way want to stir the pot and make China feel that we are poking a stick in their eye," Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said, adding, "We understand the Chinese have very strong feelings about this."
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has lived in exile in India since the Chinese army crushed an uprising in his homeland in 1959, and is revered as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. He has been pressing, without success, to return to China to advocate for greater cultural and religious freedoms for his followers.

The Dalai Lama's envoy, Lodi Gyari, who attended the meeting, said Bush described his efforts with China's president, Hu Jintao, on the Dalai Lama's behalf: "The president said he has been telling the Chinese president that you need to meet with this man, you should trust the Dalai Lama, I know this man and I trust him and you must not hesitate to meet with his holiness."

At the end of the meeting, Gyari said, the Dalai Lama closed his eyes, as if in prayer, and then offered gifts to the president and first lady: white silk ceremonial shawls, which he draped around each of their necks.

The Dalai Lama is in Washington for a week of festivities, including receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony Wednesday at the Capitol and to delivering a speech on the Capitol lawn. Bush said he would participate in the award ceremony in his first public appearance with the Dalai Lama during this visit.

Joseph Kahn contributed reporting from Beijing.

Category: News & Politics

Tags:

BUSH DALAI LAMA CHINA USA FREEDOM HUMAN RIGHTS BEIJING WASHINGTON

More From: sirdollys

Play All Stop Autoplaying | Play Next

QuickList(0)

Clear | Save

22 ratings

24,510 views

Favorite

Playlists

Flag

Want to add to Favorites? Sign In or Sign Up now!

Want to add to Playlists? Sign In or Sign Up now!

Want to flag a video? Sign In or Sign Up now!

Statistics & Data

Video Responses (0)

This video has no Responses. Be the first to Post a Video Response.

Text Comments (179) Options

ziimo (2 weeks ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

rats!. that is other country called chinese they are parasite just like you..

Comment(s) marked as spam Show

spirit31475 (2 months ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

those who HATE HIS HOLINESS are Just A STUPID AND FOOL....THEY DONT KNOW ANYTHING,,,,POOR...LONG LIVE HIS HOLINESS...WE LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU.....

esj8341 (4 months ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

Oct 5, 2009
AP Press

Barack Obama cancels meeting with Dalai Lama 'to keep China happy'

Comment(s) marked as spam Show

dorje168 (8 months ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

China is the World Leader in:
1) Torture
2) Racism
3) Brutality
4) Pollution
5) Executions
6) Repression
7) Slave Prisons
8) Internet Censorship
9) Human Rights Abuse
10) Foulmouthed Vulgar Lowlifes

"A lie repeated a hundred times becomes the truth."
-Chairman Mao

bonpa10 (9 months ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

The brain-washed Chinese commie, ultra-nationalists scum-bags robots have taken over .... Run

3muzic (10 months ago) Show Hide

-1

Marked as spam

The biggest differences of Aung San Suu Kyi as compared to Dalai Lama, is that she stayed on in her country whereby Dalai Lama fled Tibet just like a dog with its tail under & between the 2 hind legs

3muzic (10 months ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

the most noblest person of all is The Noble Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu kyi of Burma. She fought freedom for her people. Dalai Lama is an old cunning fox that "brain washed" Tibetans to believe & worship him as Buddha.

Comment(s) marked as spam Show

Showing 10 of 179 comments

Show More Comments

View All 179 comments

Would you like to comment?

Join YouTube for a free account, or sign in if you are already a member.

YouTube	Programs	Help	Policy	Discover
Contact Us	Advertising	Get Help	Privacy Policy	YouTube on Your Phone
YouTube Store	Developers	YouTube Handbook	Terms of Service	YouTube on Your Site
Press Room	Partnerships	Community Help Forums	Copyright Notices	YouTube on Your TV
Business Blog	Content Management	Safety Center	Community Guidelines	YouTube RSS Feeds
YouTube Blog		Creator's Corner		TestTube

Add YouTube to your Google homepage

Current Location: Worldwide Show locations

Bush and Dalai Lama meet despite China's anger

More From: sirdollys

QuickList(0)

Related Videos

Statistics & Data

Video Responses (0)

Text Comments (179) Options

Would you like to comment?