Howard meets Dalai Lama to China's dismay
Afp, Sydney
Australian Prime Minister John Howard met the Dalai Lama on Friday triggering an angry reaction from China who accused the premier of turning a "deaf ear" to its concerns. Howard initially said he would not meet Tibet's spiritual leader during his 10-day visit to Australia, but changed his mind this week after accusations that he was kowtowing to Beijing's rulers. After days of saying he was consulting his diary for an opportune time to meet the 71-year-old, Howard finally hosted the Dalai Lama in his Sydney office for about 20 minutes late Friday in a low-key get-together.
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