WASHINGTON -- The White House says President Barack Obama has thanked the Dalai Lama for offering condolences after 49 people were killed in a mass shooting over the weekend in Orlando, Florida.
Obama and the Tibetan spiritual leader upset China by meeting privately at the White House on Wednesday.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of campaigning to split Tibet off from China.
He says he simply wants a higher degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest reiterates that U.S. policy toward Tibet remains the same, and that it is considered part of China. He says the U.S. has not voiced support for Tibetan independence.
The two met in the Map Room, instead of the Oval Office, where Obama typically receives heads of state.
