For Immediate Release
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.

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