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Apply NOW! http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/NextCard ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <A HREF="aol://4344:3167.dlama.21058320.618946208"> AOL News: Bush Offers Support to Dalai Lama</A> Bush Offers Support to Dalai Lama President Encourages Dialogue With China By Deborah Charles Reuters WASHINGTON (May 23) - President Bush on Wednesday offered his strong support to Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Chinese government. After a White House meeting with the Dalai Lama, which was expected to further strain frayed U.S.-Chinese relations, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer issued a statement saying Bush had vowed to encourage dialogue with the Chinese officials. ''The president said he would seek ways to encourage dialogue and expressed his hope that the Chinese government would respond favorably,'' Fleischer said in a statement. ''The president also reiterated the strong commitment of the United States to support the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity and the protection of the human rights of all Tibetans,'' it said. The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, has long sought a dialogue with Chinese officials over the future of Tibet. But Beijing says the Dalai Lama should first accept Tibet as a part of China before launching talks. The White House statement also said Bush and the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of strong and constructive relations between the United States and China. Although the Dalai Lama has met previous U.S. presidents, Bush went a step further by hosting the meeting with the Nobel Peace laureate in the Yellow Oval Room -- an oval-shaped living room in the White House residence. Former President Bill Clinton met the Dalai Lama several times during his tenure, but just as a ''stop by'' while the Tibetan was meeting with other administration officials. As he left the White House, the Dalai Lama told reporters he and Bush discussed Tibet and Chinese-U.S. relations. ''I (asked) him that in the future, whenever the president had the opportunity to meet Chinese leaders, he can assure the Chinese government that I am not seeking independence,'' the Buddhist monk told reporters outside the White House. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, says he seeks autonomy for Tibet and not separation from China which occupied the territory in 1949. China argues that it has vastly improved the economic conditions of the once-closed region. BUSH MEETING WITH DALAI LAMA ADDS TO STRAIN The Dalai Lama said he also told Bush that he felt it was important for China to improve human rights, the rule of law and democracy. The meeting between the Dalai Lama and Bush was expected to rankle China and further strain U.S.-Sino relations. It takes place on the same day China marked the 50th anniversary of what it calls the ''peaceful liberation of Tibet.'' Fleischer said before the meeting that Bush was seeing the Dalai Lama in his capacity as a spiritual and religious leader. However, the Dalai Lama is also a vocal proponent of Tibetan rights. The Chinese government has accused the United States of interfering in its domestic affairs by allowing visits this week by the Dalai Lama and the president of Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. China summoned the top U.S. envoy to Beijing on Wednesday to lodge a strong protest over the visit to the United States by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, saying it had encouraged independence forces on the island. Relations between the United States and China have grown increasingly chilly since Bush took office, with tension growing after the April 1 collision of a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet and over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Beijing opposes Bush's plans for a missile defense system, and the government has bristled at U.S human rights criticism. Reut12:40 05-23-01 Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
