“The action of the US side has seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, seriously hurt the national feelings of the Chinese people and seriously undermined China-US relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a terse statement here.
The sharp reaction came a day after Obama held talks with the 74-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader at the White House, the first meeting between the two Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Washington had ignored Beijing’s warning that such a meeting would harm Sino-US ties.
Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned US Ambassador Jon Huntsman to lodge Beijing’s protest over the Obama-Dalai meeting, the statement said. The White House had carefully planned the meeting in hopes of containing Chinese protests, inviting the Tibetan leader to Maple Room, a private area in the sprawling executive mansion, rather than the Oval Office and not allowing the media and TV cameras inside.
Ma said that Thursday’s meeting went against repeated commitments by the US government that it recognises Tibet as part of China and does not support Tibet’s independence.
Internal affairs
Describing Tibet as an inseparable part of China and Tibet-related issues its internal affairs, Ma said Beijing was firmly opposed to any meeting with the Dalai by leaders or government officials of any country in whatever form.
The statement also attacked the Dalai, saying his words and deeds have shown that he is “not purely a religious figure, but a political exile engaged in long-term anti-China activities under the disguise of religion.”
It said the Chinese government and people were steadfast in their resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasising that any attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs under the Dalai issue is “doomed to failure”.
The statement demanded that the US stop “conniving (with) and supporting anti-China splittist forces” and take prompt and effective measures to remove the malign impact by taking concrete actions to maintain the healthy and stable development of China-US relations.
Obama met the Dalai for around 70 minutes and discussed with him Tibet and other international issues. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also had a separate meeting with the Tibetan leader. During the meeting the Dalai Lama said he was seeking a “meaningful” autonomy for Tibet and asked China to shed its one-sided approach by adopting a more “holistic view” on the issue.
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