Barack Obama accused of bowing to Beijing with Dalai Lama 'snub'

In what is being seen as a sign of the growing economic and diplomatic clout of Beijing, Obama has agreed to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader only after the US president has visited his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Beijing in November.

The apparent snub is a break with presidential tradition. Each of the last three presidents has met the Dalai Lama whenever he has travelled to Washington. He arrived in Washington yesterday, and will meet several other prominent politicians.

The White House says it can do more for the people of Tibet if its relations with China are good. "If the Tibet relationship is seen as an irritant to the US-China relationship, then that will cripple our ability to be of help," a senior official told the New York Times.