The meeting with the Dalai Lama, an exiled Tibetan leader, is likely to upset China, which views him as a separatist.
In New York on Wednesday, senior officials from the U.S. State Department and the White House met with the Dalai Lama, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to advancing Tibetan human rights, according to the State Department. The Dalai Lama, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader, is likely to provoke irritation in China, which views him as a separatist and opposes international officials’ interactions with him.
The 89-year-old Dalai Lama, who has been in exile since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, traveled to New York in June for knee treatment. This was his first visit to the U.S. since 2017. During the meeting, Uzra Zeya, the U.S. undersecretary of state for human rights and special coordinator for Tibetan issues, and Kelly Razzouk, the White House director for human rights, met with the Dalai Lama. They extended President Biden’s best wishes for his health and reiterated the U.S.’s dedication to advancing Tibetan human rights and supporting the preservation of Tibetan cultural and religious heritage.
The discussion included U.S. efforts to address human rights issues in Tibet and support for resuming dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama. Prior to his U.S. visit, a group of U.S. lawmakers met with the Dalai Lama in India, pledging not to let China influence the choice of his successor. Last month, China opposed a new U.S. law signed by President Biden, which pressures Beijing to address Tibet’s demands for increased autonomy.
The Dalai Lama has previously met with U.S. presidents, but Biden has not met him since taking office in 2021. Biden had previously criticized Donald Trump for not meeting with the Dalai Lama, calling it “disgraceful.” The timing of Wednesday’s meeting is notable as Biden seeks to stabilize relations with China ahead of the November 5 presidential election, where Vice President Kamala Harris will face Donald Trump. China’s embassy in Washington has not yet commented on the meeting.
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