Dalai Lama at the National Prayer Breakfast
Dalai LamaReuters

The Chinese media has criticised the United States for inviting Dalai Lama to the 2015 National Prayer Breakfast in the first place and is further angered that President Barack Obama greeted him in person.

The state-owned media called the US a "trouble-maker" that is creating unnecessary hindrances to a better China-US relationship, reports BBC.

On Thursday, speaking at the White House National Prayer Breakfast, Obama had nodded and smiled at the Dalai Lama, greeting him with a bowing gesture. He went on to call the spiritual leader a "good friend" and "a powerful example of what it means to practise compassion and who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings."

The Buddhist monk also responded to the friendly gesture with a peace sign and folded palm directed at Obama. Expressing further respect on behalf of the White House, the Dalai Lama was seated at the table with Valeries Jarret, Obama's senior adviser.

However, China, which has always expressed displeasure in any world leaders meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, whom they vilify as a dangerous separatist, had warned that any progress the two countries have made towards bettering their relations would be dampened if the US were to invite Dalai Lama to the event.

"There may be self-claimed friendship between Mr Obama and the Dalai Lama as individuals... What lies under their hypocritical relationship is nothing but political deals and cold calculations," China's state-run Xinhua News Agency had reported.

"The Dalai Lama is seeking support from foreign counties to realise his political end, but he cannot succeed," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera on Friday.

He further added that the Buddhist monk was no more than "a political exile who has long been engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the pretext of religion."

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