Obama 'steers clear' of Tibet

2009-11-13 22:22

Tokyo - US President Barack Obama will not specifically mention Tibet in his speech on Asia policy on Saturday, a senior aide said, following claims Washington has downplayed the issue to avoid angering China.

"He will not mention Tibet, he will of course mention our commitment to the rights and freedoms that we believe all people should have," said Ben Rhodes, who serves as Obama's national security advisor for strategic communications.

Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in October made his first visit to Washington in 18 years that did not include a meeting with the US president.

Critics of Obama said he avoided the meeting because he did not want to upset Beijing before his visit to China which begins on Sunday, and includes talks with China's President Hu Jintao.

Aides said Obama would raise the issue of Tibet and human rights privately with Hu, and said he looked forward to meeting the Dalai Lama later this year.

- SAPA