USA TODAY's David Jackson reports that President Bush will welcome the Dalai Lama to the White House this afternoon, and China is not happy about it.
China has protested the meeting and is threatening to walk out on talks about new sanctions against Iran. (Here's a story from today's paper about the controversy.)
Fratto said, "we understand the concerns of the Chinese." But he also said the secrecy of today's meeting is not a response to Chinese criticism, noting that Bush will attend the ceremony on Wednesday at which the Dalai Lama receives the Congressional Gold Medal.
Update at 10:30 a.m. ET: USA TODAY's Catalina Camia tells us that Bush just signed legislation that bestows the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor on Dr. Michael Ellis Debakey, a physician who specializes in cardiovascular surgery and helped develop the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals that saved thousands of lives and provided a premise for the M.A.S.H. television show.
No comments:
Post a Comment