Obama's serious misstep
- By Zhao Jinglun
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 24, 2014
President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama last Friday in the White House in flagrant violation of the mutually agreed principle that underlies the "new type of great power relationship" with China -- respect for each other's core interests.
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President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama last Friday in flagrant violation of the principles of China-U.S. relations. |
It is a glaring contradiction that Obama, on the one hand, reaffirmed that the United States recognizes that Tibet is a part of China and that he did not support Tibetan independence; yet for the third time, he met with the principal symbol of Tibetan separatism.
The Dalai Lama has been called a "wolf in sheep's clothing" for a very good reason. He pretends that he only wants "genuine" autonomy for Tibet, not independence. But he staged an armed rebellion and failed. That was how he ended up living in exile in India.
Obama and his predecessors urged China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama. Beijing never closed the door on talks. But many rounds of dialogue produced no meaningful progress, because the Dalai Lama not only asks for autonomy for Tibet proper, but also for all regions where Tibetans reside, including parts of Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan -- that's a big chunk of China. He also wants all non-Tibetans and all Chinese troops out of those areas. His demands are tantamount to asking for virtual independence not only for Tibet, but also for what he calls "the Greater Tibetan Area."
That is why Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama pleased Lobsang Sangay, the "prime minister" of the Tibetan government in exile, who claimed that "it sends a very powerful message to Tibetans inside Tibet because it gives them a sense of hope." So the U.S. president who claims he does not support Tibetan independence actually gives the separatists hope! He sent precisely the wrong signal.
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