奧巴馬第四次會晤達賴喇嘛○VOA(2016.06.16)

【Comment】

“the U.S. position on China has not changed.” 

“the president reiterated the U.S. position that Tibet is a part of China and that the United States does not articulate to support Tibetan independence.”(根據白宮記者會影片)

「根據美國的政策，西藏被認為是中華人民共和國的一部分，美國沒有表達對西藏獨立的支持。」很像對台灣講的話

「沒有表達支持」，是什麼意思？

奧巴馬第四次會晤達賴喇嘛○VOA(2016.06.16)

華盛頓—達賴喇嘛在美國首都華盛頓之行的最後一天，美國總統奧巴馬星期三在白宮地圖室會見西藏精神領袖達賴喇嘛。西藏流亡政府的司政洛桑森格博士說，兩人探討了包括“中間道路”、宗教、教育等多個議題，會面十分成功。

儘管中國外交部提前發出警告，奧巴馬還是“任性地”在白宮與流亡西藏精神領袖達賴喇嘛會面。

15日上午，達賴喇嘛一行的車隊駛入白宮。奧巴馬總統在白宮地圖室與達賴喇嘛見面。這場閉門會議並沒有對媒體開放。這是奧巴馬任內第四次在白宮與達賴喇嘛見面。

西藏流亡政府司政洛桑森格對美國之音記者表示，達賴喇嘛與奧巴馬總統的會面十分成功，他們討論了不同的議題。

他說：“在西藏問題的語境下，奧巴馬總統抒發了他對達賴喇嘛提出的'中間道路'及願景的想法，為此，達賴喇嘛對他表示感謝。”

白宮新聞秘書歐內斯特稍後表示，奧巴馬總統感謝達賴喇嘛對奧蘭多槍擊慘案所表達的慰問。

這次會面估計將引起中國政府的不滿。前一天，中國外交部發言人陸慷已經公開警告美國總統奧巴馬不要會見“打著宗教的幌子在國際上兜售分裂主張”的達賴喇嘛。

不過歐內斯特強調說，美國對西藏的政策並沒有改變。他說：“我要再次重申，美國對西藏的立場並沒有改變。根據美國的政策，西藏被認為是中華人民共和國的一部分，美國沒有表達對西藏獨立的支持。”

據他表示，奧巴馬總統對達賴喇嘛表達了“個人的”友好情誼，並支持維護“西藏獨特的宗教、文化和語言傳統”。

達賴喇嘛在洛桑森格等人的陪同下，在15日下午來到美國國家民主基金會(National Endowment for Democracy)，與古巴、阿塞拜疆、蘇丹和約旦的四名年輕民主人士談話。

觀眾中一名維吾爾族人向達賴喇嘛討教，很多在中國的維吾爾人受到中國政府的壓迫，應該如何應對。達賴喇嘛建議他們應該選擇類似“中間道路”的策略，而不是一味強硬地尋求獨立。

14日，達賴喇嘛還與國會兩黨多位參議員、眾議員會面，與參議院外交關係委員會舉行會談。

接下來，達賴喇嘛將前往加州，發表多場公開演說。

WHITE HOUSE—

No video cameras or reporters were allowed into the White House Map Room on Wednesday to document the fourth meeting between Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and President Barack Obama.

But afterward a photo emerged, first on the Dalai Lama's Instagram account and then released by the White House, of the two men facing each other, locked in an embrace that spoke volumes about the warmth of their relationship.

In an interview with VOA, Myles Caggins, National Security Council spokesman for Asia, said the meeting was personal in nature.

"In this case, personal because the president, as he hosted the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the residence, greets him as an individual who is a leader, who is internationally recognized as a leader for religion and a cultural leader of Tibet.  But in contrast, an official visit or a state visit would include the normal trappings of the parade on the South Lawn, potentially a meeting in the Oval Office and a state dinner, potentially."

China warning

Earlier, China warned Obama against meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it could damage mutual trust. China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist.

Obama refers to the Dalai Lama as "a good friend."  But China fears these meetings between the two send the wrong message to Tibetans.

"If such meeting goes through, it will send a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking Tibet independence, and it will damage mutual trust and cooperation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters Wednesday in Beijing.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president has "warm personal feelings" for the Dalai Lama, and thanked him for his letter of condolences to the families of those hurt and killed in Sunday's mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.  Earnest said the president also appreciated the spiritual leader's commitment to nonviolence and his efforts to reduce the impact of climate change.

White House statement

After the meeting, the White House released a statement saying: "The president and the Dalai Lama discussed the situation for Tibetans in the People's Republic of China, and the president emphasized his strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions and the equal protection of human rights of Tibetans in China.  The president lauded the Dalai Lama's commitment to peace and nonviolence, and expressed support for the Dalai Lama's ‘Middle Way’ approach."

The Dalai Lama has advocated for a middle way — not asking for independence from China for Tibet, but for more autonomy.

Asked about more autonomy for Tibet, NSC spokesman Caggins told VOA that the U.S. position on China has not changed.

"During the meeting, it is important to note that the president reiterated the U.S. position that Tibet is a part of China and that the United States does not support Tibetan independence.  But both leaders, the president and the Dalai Lama, agreed that it is important for the United States and China to have a constructive and productive relationship.  It is also important that the Dalai Lama and his representatives have a fruitful dialogue with Chinese authorities."

But dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China's central government stopped in 2010.  Tibetans re-elected their prime minister in May, and they maintain hope that talks with China to give Tibet more autonomy can continue.

奧巴馬會晤達賴喇嘛中國稱干涉內政○VOA(2016.06.16)

在美國總統奧巴馬星期三在白宮會晤達賴喇嘛之後，中國星期四警告美國不要利用西藏問題干涉中國內政。

奧巴馬總統會晤達賴喇嘛之際恰逢中國在東亞地區強勢提出領土主權聲索、美中關係緊張。中國外交部星期四就奧巴馬會晤達賴喇嘛做出反應。

中國外交部發言人陸慷說：“我們敦促美方停止利用涉藏問題干涉中國內政，停止做任何有可能影響中美合作大局的事情，以實際行動維護中美關係。至於講到中國西藏的情況，中國人民最有發言權。”

星期三奧巴馬總統與達賴喇嘛的會晤是他就任總統以來的第四次。