President Obama Prepares to Meet the Dalai Lama
“In contrast to the Taiwan issue, where the United States -- for better or worse -- is a central actor, Washington’s influence on Tibet is mostly symbolic. Nonetheless, symbolism counts for something, and President Obama’s signaling so far is as clear as one could hope: he deferred any meeting with the Dalai Lama until after his presidential visit to Beijing, as part of a general strategy of comprehensive cooperation with the PRC; this week, he is going ahead with an official meeting with the Dalai Lama, in the context of rocky relations with China over a raft of issues, including (although not that high on the list) a lack of progress on reconciliation with the Tibetan exile leadership or human rights and cultural autonomy for Tibetan people living in the PRC. A White House visit increases the Dalai Lama’s store of political capital but also can fuel anti-Dalai Lama and anti-Tibetan sentiment among Han Chinese nationalists, in the government and online, who deeply resent Washington’s ‘meddling’ in China’s internal affairs and ‘core interests.’ Ultimately, the Chinese are right that Tibet is a domestic issue, and the U.S. is not, in the end, positioned to play a mediating role between Lhasa/Dharamsala and Beijing. But sharing some of the White House limelight -- one Nobel Peace Prize winner to another -- in order to draw attention to stalled progress on Tibet is a timely act, even if it generates more heat between Washington and Beijing,” says John Delury, Associate Director of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations.
John is in New York. To arrange an interview, contact the Asia Society communications department at 212-327-9271 or [email protected].