07/16/2011, 00.00
CHINA - U.S.
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Obama meets the Dalai Lama; Clinton discusses debt in Shenzhen

China has asked the U.S. president to cancel the meeting. Perhaps the Dalai Lama's visit aims to press Beijing to help support the U.S. debt. Hillary Clinton to meet Dai Bingguo on this issue.
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The White House announced today that President Barack Obama will meet with the Dalai Lama to testify to his support for Tibetan identity. On the same day, it was annouced that on July 25 in Shenzhen (Guangdong), the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet with Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo. In all likelihood the theme of the meeting is the plight of U.S. debt, which threatens to ruin even Beijing.

A statement released by the White House, says that by meeting the Dalai Lama, "the president wants to emphasize his continuing support for dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government to resolve differences."

The announcement of the visit of the Tibetan leader has already provoked a strong reaction from Beijing. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has urged Washington to cancel the meeting, which is classified as private and will only last half an hour.

In February 2010, a meeting between the U.S. President with the Dalai Lama was strongly criticized by Beijing, so that the last time Obama reduced its official significance, meeting the Tibetan leader not in the Oval Office (used for official meetings) and then obliging him to exit by a back door.

Analysts see a link between the announcement of the visit of the Dalai Lama and Clinton’s meeting with Dai Bingguo. Two days ago, China warned the United States to protect the "interests of investors" in the controversy that is taking place in Washington on whether to raise the debt ceiling.

The United States has a national debt of over 14 thousand billion dollars. Of these, more than 1000 are on the shoulders of the Chinese.

For some time now, fears of a U.S. collapse have been pushing China to diversify its investments, distancing itself from U.S. government bonds.

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