'Beijing itself created this issue'

A statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared: “The U.S. act grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, gravely hurt the Chinese people's national sentiments and seriously damaged Sino-U.S. ties.” The Chinese reaction was slightly less violent than that to Washington's recent announcement of a US$6.4 billion arms sales package to Taiwan. This time, there was no threat of reprisals.

Still, the Chinese reaction was totally out of proportion to what had occurred. After all, President Obama had gone out of his way to placate Chinese feelings by not meeting with the Dalai Lama last October when the Tibetan monk was in town. In fact, it was the first time since 1991 that he was not received by a sitting American president while in Washington.

The U.S. leader wanted to ensure a good atmosphere for his state visit to China the following month, at which time he informed Chinese leaders of both the pending arms sales package for Taiwan and the meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Chinese propaganda is heavily laced with accusations that the U.S. is still imbued with a “cold war” mindset and is attempting to play the “Tibet card” against China.

Nowhere does China acknowledge that Beijing itself created this issue by sending tanks against defenseless students in June 1989.

It was no coincidence that six months after the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his policy of “peaceful resolution instead of using violence” in Tibet.

At the time, Beijing was so angered that it withdrew its ambassador from Oslo to protest against the Nobel committee's decision.

In his acceptance speech, the Dalai Lama focused on the importance of peaceful means to maintain a dialogue with China and criticized Beijing for having used force against student protesters.

It was only after the Dalai Lama became a Nobel peace laureate that he was regularly received by western leaders. In 1991, George H.W. Bush, who saw himself as a friend of China, became the first American president to receive him.

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