The White House on Thursday expressed their concern over the current hostilities between China and Tibet. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that they are very “concerned about innocent [Chinese] people's safety and well-being, especially because we believe that everyone should have the right to peacefully assemble and express their views.” Perino was referring to the recent violence from Chinese police onto anti-government Tibetan protesters. The violence began at the offspring of China's decision to sent additional troops to make arrests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in an effort to suppress the anti-government protests. “We believe that the Dalai Lama is a person of peace and of non-violence. And what we would urge China to do is to establish a dialogue with him so that they can resolve their dispute peacefully, rather than through violence,” Perino said. But, it is unlikely that the Chinese will initiate a dialogue with the leader whom they have historically vilified. Perino also said that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been in communication with her Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to “very directly reiterate our views and concerns about the situation and told the Chinese that we would urge restraint in dealing with protestors, to refrain from” using violence.
