Much to China's displeasure, U.S. President Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama last week. As anticipated, the Beijing government complained bitterly about the meeting and demanded that Washington take steps to put substance behind the U.S. call for a truly constructive and cooperative relationship with China. But the bluster was more muted than many anticipated and reveals that China may have a nuanced understanding of U.S. politics. If that is so, then there is hope that the United States and China can forge a durable relationship that can survive the inevitable challenges and stabilize, rather than upset, relations in Asia.
Then President George H.W. Bush in 1991 became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with the Dalai Lama. Since then, three other presidents have met the spiritual leader on 11 occasions. While U.S. officials recognize the Dalai Lama as the head of a spiritual community and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, China instead sees him as "a splittist" determined to win Tibetan independence. The Beijing government interprets each high-profile meeting with the Dalai Lama as a means of enhancing his legitimacy and makes every effort to deter them. World leaders who have met him have become targets of considerable invective and further retaliation. Several governments have declined meetings rather than court China's wrath.
Mr. Obama was originally supposed to meet the Dalai Lama last fall, but postponed the meeting so that it would not cast a shadow over, or derail, the president's trip to China in November. The rescheduling was a show of respect for Chinese sensitivities, but not a show of deference to Chinese interests. When the meeting did take place, it came hot on the heels of the announcement of the U.S. decision to sell arms to Taiwan, a move that was anticipated but still provoked anger from Beijing. Observers worried that China might try to exploit its growing regional influence, and its mounting irritation at what it regards as just grievances, to shift the baselines for engagement with the U.S.