After President Obama recently announced his intention to meet with the Dalai Lama, Beijing is allowing its antagonism towards the Tibetan spiritual leader to infect U.S.-Sino relations. Zhu Weiqun of the CCP's State Council declared: "[The Obama-Dalai Lama meeting] will seriously undermine the political foundations for Sino-U.S. relations. The Chinese people will not turn a blind eye to those who undermine China's sovereignty and national dignity."
Strong words. (But do they hold any practical gravitas?)
Obama's move is not unprecedented. Recent U.S. presidents have indeed met with the Dalai Lama; Bush did so after the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet examine the context: one can argue that Bush was compelled to hold the meeting because of the Nobel. In addition, Obama choosing to meet the Dalai Lama in a spiritual or cultural setting, such as a temple, would be able to lend credence to his assertion that the event will be solely predicated on spiritual and cultural grounds. However, this is not the case. Scheduling the Dalai Lama at the White House is a clear indication that the meeting is intended to be a political gesture, with the finger prominently pointed at Beijing.
A lucid Times article on the topic can be found here.
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