Washington (ANTARA/AFP) - A senior US State Department official met with the Dalai Lama, discussing Washington's "strong" support for Tibet, the State Department said Wednesday, in a move likely to frustrate China. Tibet's spiritual leader, who fled Chinese rule of his homeland in 1959, is in Washington to celebrate his 76th birthday, and earlier marked before thousands of worshippers the start of a 10-day ritual known as a Kalachakra in which disciples meditate for peace as part of their quest for enlightenment. During their talks on Tuesday, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero and the Dalai Lama spoke about "strong US support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity, and the protection of human rights in the People's Republic of China," the State Department said in a statement. "She also commended the Dalai Lama for his commitment to peace and nonviolence and the pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government." The White House has stayed mum on whether Obama will meet the Dalai Lama. Such a meeting would be certain to anger China, which has tried for years to isolate the Tibetan spiritual leader despite his global popularity.


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