WASHINGTON — Risking China's ire, official Washington heaped honor and praise on the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, with President Bush bestowing on him one of the nation's highest civilian awards -- the Congressional Gold Medal.
It was the first time since the Tibetan spiritual leader fled into exile in 1959 that a sitting U.S. president met with him in public, and the solemn ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda marked an escalation of support for him from American political leaders.
"Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away," Bush said to an overflow audience of lawmakers and well-wishers. "And that is why I will continue to urge the leaders of China to welcome the Dalai Lama to China. They will find this good man to be a man of peace and reconciliation."
The Dalai Lama, 72, fled his native Tibet -- a religiously and culturally distinct region -- when the Chinese government sent in troops to quell a rebellion. Many people consider him Tibet's rightful political and spiritual leader, though he does not advocate independence.
"I am seeking a meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people within the People's Republic of China," the Dalai Lama said.
In the Rotunda, the revered heart of the Capitol, the Dalai Lama's saffron robes stood out against the austere marble walls. His manner was cheerful, even playful, joking that his decision to speak in English was "something like my English examination in front of dignitaries and scholars."
"The consistency of American support for Tibet has not gone unnoticed in China. Where this has caused some tension in the U.S.-China relations I feel a sense of regret," he said.
Outside, a crowd of thousands waited for him to speak.
"For me, it feels like now the whole world knows about Tibet," said Tserong Tashe, a 35-year-old wallpaper-hanger who had traveled from New York.
The Chinese government sent multiple warnings that it would consider any recognition of the Dalai Lama to be a provocation.
"China is strongly resentful of and resolutely opposes this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said before the event, according to the official New China News Agency.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who sponsored the resolution awarding the medal, said China's ambassador to Washington had visited her three times to try to dissuade her from pursuing such visible support.
