Blinken meets Dalai Lama representative in India, irks China media

UNITED States secretary of state Antony Blinken on Wednesday (28) met a representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, during his visit to the Indian capital. This move  irked China which is strongly critical of the Tibetan spiritual leader and considers himself a separatist as its media blasted the diplomat's visit to India.

Blinken briefly met Ngodup Dongchung, who presented him a scarf from the Dalai Lama, according to a senior official of the state department, Reuters reported. Dongchung is a representative of the Central Tibetan Administration, also known as the Tibetan government in exile which is headquartered in Dharamshala in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

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“The Dalai Lama obviously is a globally revered spiritual leader and so the gesture was gratefully received and appreciated,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

The Dalai Lama (Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

The meeting between the top American diplomat and the representative of the Dalai Lama was one of the most conspicuous contacts between the US and Tibetan officials since former US president Barack Obama met the Tibetan spiritual leader in Washington in 2016.

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Chinese troops seized Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a “peaceful liberation”. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

China state-media slams Blinken visit

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond for a request for a comment by Reuters but the country’s belligerent state-backed tabloid Global Times slammed Blinken’s India visit saying it “exposed Washington’s two-faced China policy”. It said the secretary of state highlighted the threat posed by China during his meeting with Indian leaders and officials and played the “Tibet card” by meeting the Dalai Lama’s representative.

It also said Blinken’s visit came soon after his deputy Wendy Sherman held talks with China’s senior diplomats in North China’s Tianjin a few days ago, seeking to keep the channels of communication open amid the troubled relations between Washington and Beijing. It also added that US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in Singapore earlier this week that the US is committed to “constructive, and stable” ties with China, seeking no confrontation but “will not flinch” when its interests are under threat.