China's foreign ministry on Friday bitterly condemned US President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama as having "grossly violated" international norms.
In a pre-dawn response hours after the Tibetan spiritual leader got a cordial welcome at the White House, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu urged Washington to make amends for the meeting with a man Beijing views as a separatist.
"The US act grossly violated basic norms of international relations and the principles" set out in joint statements under which the US pledged to respect Chinese sovereignty, Ma said in a statement posted on the ministry website.
The meeting "also went against the US government's repeated acknowledgement that Tibet is part of China and that it does not support Tibet independence", he said.
Ma demanded that the United States "seriously consider" China's stance and immediately take steps to "eliminate the pernicious impact (of the meeting) and stop conniving with and supporting... anti-China separatist forces".
China fiercely opposes any foreign contact with the 74-year-old Buddhist leader, who fled his Chinese-ruled homeland in 1959 for India and has since built an enthusiastic global following for his spiritual teachings.
Thursday's outburst comes on top of previous strains that range from US weapons sales to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of Chinese territory, to US trade tariffs on Chinese goods.
Despite careful US arrangements to keep his visit off-camera, the Dalai Lama walked out of the White House residence and told a large group of reporters he was "very happy" with the 45-minute meeting.
"The President was... supportive," the Dalai Lama said, adding that his cause was "just" and one of "peace".
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs reiterated that the Obama administration is committed to a constructive relationship with China.
But in comments sure to upset China, Gibbs said Obama had voiced support for the Dalai Lama and his "Middle Way" approach of using non-violence to pursue greater rights for Tibet under Chinese rule.
"The President stated his strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans in the People's Republic of China," Gibbs said.
"The President commended the Dalai Lama's 'Middle Way' approach, his commitment to non-violence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government," Gibbs said.
The Obama administration took office last year pledging to broaden cooperation with the rising Asian power on a range of issues including reviving the wobbly global economy and battling climate change.
But relations have been distinctly choppy, despite a charm offensive by Obama when he visited China in November.
However some US-based analysts believe China's protests may be geared more for domestic consumption and that its leaders, like Obama, see the benefits of cooperation between the world's largest developed and developing nations.
Just hours before the meeting with the Dalai Lama, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier arrived for a visit in Hong Kong despite China's vows to cut off military ties with the United States due to the Taiwan arms deal.
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