Odishatv Bureau
Beijing: Hours after President Barack Obama had an audience with the Dalai Lama, China on Sunday summoned top US diplomat here to convey its "strong indignation" over the meeting, saying it amounted to "gross interference" in its internal affairs and damaged the bilateral ties.

Obama`s meeting with the Dalai "has grossly interfered in China`s internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and damaged the Sino-American relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement, expressing "stern objection" over the US act.

"We demand the US side to seriously consider China`s stance, immediately adopt measures to wipe out the baneful impact, stop interfering in China`s internal affairs and cease to connive and support anti-China separatist forces that seek `Tibet independence`," he said.

Ma said the issue regarding Tibet concerns exclusively to China`s internal affairs.

He charged that the Dalai Lama is in nature a political exile who has been engaging in secessionist activities in the name of religion.

"China objects firmly to any foreign leader`s meeting with the Dalai Lama in any form and opposes to any country, or anyone, to interfere in China`s internal affairs by using the Dalai Lama," he said.

Earlier, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned Robert S Wang, Charge d`Affaires of the US embassy here, to lodge solemn representations over Obama`s meeting with Dalai Lama yesterday.

Chinese Ambassador to the US, Zhang Yesui, also lodged representations with the American side in Washington, a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry here said.

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