Obama to meet Dalai Lama on Feb. 18

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President Obama will meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Feb. 18, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Thursday.

“The president looks forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue,” Gibbs told reporters at the beginning of his televised briefing.

The meeting was expected and has already been condemned by China which accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama denies he is seeking independence but has advocated for better human rights in Tibet.

Obama had postponed the visit once before, angering some lawmakers and human rights advocates. They argue the meeting was pushed back so that Obama can woo China’s support on nuclear-related issues including North Korea and stronger sanctions against Iran.

The meeting also comes after the Obama administration recently announced an arms package for Taiwan, another sore point in relations with China which considers it a province and not a sovereign nation.

Every U.S. president in the past 20 years has met with the Dalai Lama as a sign of the United States commitment to human rights. Obama also told Chinese leaders last year that he would meet with the monk.
-- Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal