President Obama met with the Dalai Lama in the White House’s Map Room, rather than the Oval Office, where the president traditionally brings a visiting leader for photographs. The meeting was private and did not allow access to reporters, this may be an attempt to avoid the appearance of a formal meeting between two heads of state.
“The U. S. leader’s planned meeting with Dalai is a gross interference in China’s domestic politics,” said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry. It is a sever violation of the principles of international relations. It will inflict grave damages upon the China-U.S. relationship.”