N. Korea slams Obama's meeting with Dalai Lama

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday slammed U.S. President Barack Obama's meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama as an act that has "interfered with China's internal affairs" and caused conflicts between China-American relations.
"It is apparent that the Dalai Lama tried to raise his personal profile by negotiating with senior American politicians to win support for his separatist line," the North's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said in an editorial.
The report carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) echoed a Chinese statement that criticized Obama's Saturday meeting with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, warning it could hurt relations between the two countries.
The Tibetan leader, branded by China as a separatist, was in Washington from July 5-16 for a Buddhist ritual and meetings with U.S. political leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner.
"By inviting the Dalai Lama to its country and inciting Tibetan independence, the U.S. is continuing an anti-China scheme, interfering with China's internal affairs," the paper said, reflecting the stance of China, the sole major ally of the impoverished North.



ejkim@yna.co.kr