Dalai Lama gets upbeat - but quiet - Obama welcome

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama personally welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House yesterday and lauded his goals for the Tibetan people, but he kept their get-together off camera and low key in an attempt to avoid inflaming tensions with China.

At the risk of angering Beijing, Obama did tell the exiled spiritual leader he backs the preservation of Tibet's culture and supports human rights for its people. He also gave encouragement to the Dalai Lama's request for talks with the Chinese government. Meetings between the Dalai Lama and U.S. presidents became standard fare under former President George H.W. Bush nearly 20 years ago.

But the choreography is always delicate and closely watched because of China's sensitivity to the issue.

Revered in much of the world, the Dalai Lama is seen by Beijing as a separatist who seeks to overthrow Chinese rule of Tibet. Though he says that is untrue, China regards any official foreign leader's contact with the Buddhist monk as an infringement on its sovereignty over the mountainous region and as a particularly unwelcome snub.

Predictably, China protested the meeting today, saying Washington had interfered in Chinese domestic affairs and demanding that the United States take steps to improve ties. Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman in Beijing to lodge a "solemn representation," the ministry said on its Web site.

China is a rising global rival for the United States and a hoped-for partner. So concern about reprisals, in the form of reduced cooperation with Washington or other punitive steps, has led American presidents to tread carefully.

There was no welcome fanfare yesterday, nor a public appearance with the president. The White House released only a single official picture.

The Dalai Lama did meet with reporters outside the White House, playfully tossing a bit of snow at them.

George H.W. Bush allowed no photos of his 1991 talks with the Dalai Lama. Bill Clinton avoided formal sessions altogether, favoring drop-bys into the visitor's other meetings. George W. Bush kept his meetings under wraps, too - though in 2007, he broke with tradition and appeared in public to present the Tibetan with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Later Thursday, Obama arrived in Denver to raise money for Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who was appointed and is now being challenged within his party.

Obama will end up in Las Vegas for a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He is to appear Friday at a town hall on the economy and to speak to business leaders, who feel he keeps slamming their town.