China’s foreign minister had urged the White House to cancel the meeting.
The White House also said the Dalai Lama told Obama that he is not seeking independence for Tibet and hopes that talks between his representatives and the Chinese government resume.
Mr. Obama and the Dalai Lama are both Nobel Peace Prize winners
Thousands of expatriate Tibetans joined a 76th birthday celebration Wednesday for the Dalai Lama, who's just relinquished leadership of Tibet's government-in-exile.
A Chinese crackdown led the Dalai Lama to flee into exile in India in 1959. China says he's welcome to return if he drops his separatist activities, accepts Tibet as an inalienable part of China and recognizes Taiwan as a province of China.
Hours before the Dalai Lama's arrival, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the White House to cancel the visit.
Reflecting the diplomatic sensitivity of the visit, the 44-minute meeting with the Dalai Lama — Obama’s second as president — was closed to the news media. China considers Tibet its territory and the Dalai Lama a separatist, although he favors self-rule rather than independence.
In announcing the meeting late Friday, the White House said Obama would express support for a resolution between China and Tibet that protects Tibet’s interests.
Beijing on Saturday reiterated its call for Obama to cancel the meeting, according to China’s official news agency, Xinhua.
