US President Obama met the Dalai Lama in the White House despite urging by China to cancel the meeting, saying it will “seriously impair China-US relations”. President Obama said that he was honoured to meet His Holiness again and reiterated his support for the preservation of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic traditions of Tibet. Mr Obama hosted the Dalai Lama in a private meeting in the White House Map Room. Foreign leaders are usually hosted in the Oval Office, so the decision to use the Map Room is viewed as an attempt to give the visit a lower profile.