Obama Delays Dalai Lama Meeting

For the first time in 18 years, the Dalai Lama will visit Washington this week without visiting the U.S. president. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has persuaded the Tibetans to postpone a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Obama until after the president's summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao next month. The delay is part of a new policy toward China termed "strategic reassurance" which aims to convince China that the U.S. is not out to contain it. U.S. officials have explained to their Tibetan counterparts that they want to work with China on important issues such as nuclear weapons in North Korea and Iran. It's unclear whether the administration is responding to a particular Chinese demand, or simply throwing the Chinese a bone.