Dalai Lama visits White House

2003-09-10 21:00

Washington - President George W Bush welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House on Wednesday, a US official said, a day after China accused Washington of allowing the Tibetan spiritual leader to carry out "separatist" activity on its soil.

The Dalai Lama told reporters that he had a good meeting with Bush, who last welcomed him to the presidential mansion two years ago.

"My main concern is the preservation of Tibetan culture," he said, referring to claims by Tibetan groups that Chinese officials have promoted a stream of Han migration into Tibet to dilute the local culture.

China, which has ruled Tibet since 1951, had already asked Washington not to welcome the Dalai Lama, who fled the region in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Sun Weide, spokesperson for China's Washington embassy, told AFP on Tuesday that Beijing had lodged an official complaint to the United States over the visit.

"The US government has repeatedly acknowledged that the United States will not support Tibetan independence," he said.

Therefore, Sun said, Washington should not allow the Dalai Lama to conduct "separatist activity on US soil."

The Dalai Lama argues that his non-violent struggle does not advocate Tibetan independence, but greater autonomy from Beijing.

- AFP