« Obama Meets With His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama (Video & Slideshow) »

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama of Tibet Thursday to discuss human rights and religious freedom for the people of Tibet, shrugging off the official protests of China.

The carefully choreographed meeting lasted 70 minutes in the Map Room of the White House's main residence. Mr. Obama didn't see the spiritual leader of Tibet in the Oval Office, a move designed to signal that the U.S. doesn't view him as a political leader of Tibet, which Washington officially views as Chinese territory.

The Dalai Lama, speaking to reporters after the meeting, took advantage of a moment before the cameras on the White House grounds to thank the U.S. president for the meeting and declare himself "very happy."

"Since my childhood, I always admired America not as a military power, but mainly as a champion of democracy, freedom, human value, human creativity," the Dalai Lama said, wearing the robes of a Tibetan monk and flip-flops in snowy, cold Washington.

---

Excellent Slideshow -- chronicling 40 years of the Dalai Lama fighting for peace and freedom for Tibet  >>

---

Comments

[RecoverylessRecovery]

"Since my childhood, I always admired America not as a military power, but mainly as a champion of democracy, freedom, human value, human creativity," the Dalai Lama said".

Yeah, yeah.

But what do you think of it NOWADAYS, WITHOUT all those virtues?

[Sagebrush]

Even though Obama is "no champion of democracy, freedom, human value, human creativity," and I don't think even rates being in the same room with the Dali Lama. He showed the world he can send him packing out the service entrance, dodging bags of garbage. As disgusting as it is that picture is priceless. I wonder how many votes that will cost him in the next election.