China to Meet With Dalai Lama Reps

Might Chinese officials have had enough of demonstrators protesting China's position toward Tibet, which has disrupted the global relay of the Olympic torch? Could be. Chinese officials have agreed to meet with representatives of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The torch protests have quite alarmed Chinese leaders, and angered Chinese, both from the mainland and those who grew up overseas. China has accused the Dalai Lama (photo: Reuters) for being behind the protests. The torch relay is beginning to pit sides against one along the relay routes themselves, which is an embarrassment to Chinese organizers, but in my view bad for the Olympics themselves. The event and the athletes who compete in the Games don't want to be a magnet for protests or violence, and the "Beijing Olympics" is fast becoming a metaphor for "pro- and anti-China elements duking it out."