Obama and the Dalai Lama

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Despite fierce objections from the Chinese government, President Obama will meet today with the Dalai Lama, who seeks autonomy for Tibetans (though not necessarily an independent state for Tibet). Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will also meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
 
The meeting, say Chinese officials, will unquestionably further strain relations between the United States and China. It will be just one more 'issue' to add to the growing list. In recent months, tensions have risen over trade, Google and censorship, and an arms deal between the United States and Taiwan.
 
"It will seriously undermine the Sino-U.S. political relations," Zhu Weiqun, a senior Communist Party leader in charge of ethnic and religious affairs, said recently. "We will take corresponding action to make relevant countries see their mistakes."
 
What kind of actions, you might ask? According to some experts, Chinese President Hu Jintao could refuse to visit Washington in April as planned. And this, of course, would only further deteriorate the fragile relationship--one experts say we can't afford to break.
 
"We both need each other," [Douglas Paal, a diplomat and investment banker who has been a presidential adviser on China] said. "We need each other for a number of international security issues -- to deal with the global climate crisis, to deal with the global financial crisis."
 
What do you think? Is President Obama right to meet with the Dalai Lama?
 
(Photo credit: Luca Galuzzi; C.C. 2.5)