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on the heels of the American standoff with China
over the spyplane affair, the leader of the exiled
government of Tibet, Dalai Lama, met with the U.S.
President George W. Bush at the White House Wednesday,
while Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian met New
York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on Tuesday.
In
response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Zhu Bangzao said the United States was interfering
in China's internal affairs and warned against further
damaging bilateral relations. Beijing views Tibet
as its rightful territory and Taiwan as a breakaway
province of China. The U.S. State Department allowed
Chen to transit through New York, where he met with
the mayor and community leaders yesterday, en route
to Latin America.
Chen will stop over in Houston, Texas, for
two days next week on his way back to Taiwan.
He leaves today for El Salvador, Guatemala,
Panama, Paraguay, and Honduras. The U.S. recognizes
Beijing as the seat of the legitimate Chinese
government, while it maintains economic and
unofficial political ties with Taiwan. Nationalist
Party (Kuomintang) leader Chiang Kai-Shek retreated
to Taiwan in 1948-1949 and set up the Republic
of China after losing power to the Communists.
The Dalai Lama's visit has also angered China.
China sees the both Tibetan leader, whose exiled
government is in Dharmsala, India, and the
Taiwanese leader as advocates of their respective
independence.
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