In whatever form and on whatever occasion, should a president of the United States meet with the Dalai Lama, it will unquestionably step on China's toes and therefore cast a shadow over US-China relations. This should be clear to all US politicians.

So Washington seems to play a political gimmick by inviting the Dalai Lama to the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday (US local time), at which US President Barack Obama is due to deliver remarks. We have no idea whether it was the US president's idea to invite him. Neither do we know whether such an arrangement has been orchestrated so the meeting is not a specially arranged one, so that more room is left for the White House to respond to China's reaction.

But whatever the reason, Obama is acquiescing to the Dalai Lama's attempt to split Tibet from China.