Bush, Dalai Lama meet

Two days after the White House named China a serious violator of religious freedom in a report to Congress, US President George W. Bush met with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, on Wednesday, ignoring objections from China 10 days before he makes an official visit to Beijing, Reuters reported. "The Dalai Lama is not a mere religious figure. He is a political refugee who has conducted activities splitting China and undermining national unity," said Chu Maoming, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington.