Bush Urges Dialogue on Tibet Between Dalai Lama, Beijing
(White House press secretary's May 23 statement)
In a May 23 meeting with the Dalai Lama, President Bush said he would "seek ways to encourage dialogue" between the
Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives, according to a White House press statement.
The president also "reiterated the strong commitment of the United States to support the preservation of Tibet's unique
religious, cultural, and linguistic identity and the protection of the human rights of all Tibetans," the statement
says.
Following is the text of the statement:
(begin text)
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY ON THE MEETING WITH THE DALAI LAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary
May 23, 2001
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
Meeting with the Dalai Lama
His Holiness, the XIV Dalai Lama, met at the White House this morning with the President and the National Security
Advisor to discuss Tibet. The President commended the Dalai Lama's commitment to nonviolence and declared his strong
support for the Dalai Lama's tireless efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Chinese government. The President said he
would seek ways to encourage dialogue and expressed his hope that the Chinese government would respond favorably. The
President also reiterated the strong commitment of the United States to support the preservation of Tibet's unique
religious, cultural, and linguistic identity and the protection of the human rights of all Tibetans. The President and
the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of strong and constructive U.S.-China relations.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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