Analysis | Beijing’s muted response to Obama-Dalai Lama meet reveals shift in US-China ties
US boldness in challenging Beijing coupled with China's less tough reaction mark how much the two powers value their relationship
When the Dalai Lama came to Washington in 2009 on one of his frequent lecture tours, Barack Obama did not invite him to the White House as the new US president sought to start on the right foot with China.
More than four years later, Obama went ahead last week with his third meeting as president with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. China called in a US diplomat to protest but the encounter appeared almost routine, with no stronger repercussions immediately by Beijing.
The episode represents a subtle shift in the complex relationship between the world’s two largest economies as both sides cut through the veneer of hope for broad co-operation and prioritise key interests.
Obama, who came under domestic criticism for not seeing the Dalai Lama in 2009, has been increasingly unabashed about taking actions that irk China.
The Obama administration has challenged China over maritime disputes with neighbours, earlier this month questioning the legal basis for Beijing’s claims in the tense South China Sea.
“President Obama refrained in his first year from meeting the Dalai Lama and from doing other things in the hope that he was going to build a stable foundation and more trust in the US-China relationship,” said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.