Reuters
February 18, 2010

BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Reuters) -- China condemned
U.S. President Barack Obama's meeting with the
Dalai Lama, saying it was "strongly dissatisfied"
and expected Washington to take steps to put
bilateral relations back on a healthy course.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said
in a statement issued early on Friday that the
meeting between Obama and the exiled Tibetan
leader shunned by Beijing "violated the U.S.
government's repeated acceptance that Tibet is a
part of China and it does not support Tibetan independence".

"China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and
resolute opposition to this (meeting)," Ma said
in the comments issued by the official Xinhua
news agency. China reviles the Dalai Lama, who
wants self-rule for his homeland, as a separatist.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Michael Roddy)