Barack Obama backs Tibet – but keeps the Dalai Lama's visit low-key

Mr Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said the president had stated support for "the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans" in China.

Following the private talks, which lasted more than an hour, the Dalai Lama declared himself "very happy" and said Mr Obama was "very much supportive".

While defying Chinese demands to scrap the talks, the White House took pains to keep the encounter low-key in an apparent move to placate Beijing.

With the two giant economies so deeply intertwined, tensions are considered unlikely to escalate into outright confrontation. The White House expects only limited fallout.

However, the Dalai Lama's visit could complicate Mr Obama's efforts to secure China's help on key issues, such as imposing tougher sanctions on Iran, resolving the North Korean nuclear stand-off and forging a new global accord on climate change.

By proceeding with the meeting over Chinese objections, Mr Obama may be trying to show his resolve against an increasingly assertive Beijing, after facing criticism at home for being too soft with China's leaders on his trip there in November. On the eve of the Dalai Lama's visit, Mr Gibbs said: "Chinese officials have known about this, and their reaction is their reaction."

Although admired by millions around the world as a man of peace, the Dalai Lama is accused by Beijing of being a dangerous separatist who foments unrest in Tibet.

Mr Gibbs insisted that the United States and China – the world's largest and third-biggest economies – have a "mature relationship" capable of withstanding disagreements.

But, mindful of Chinese sensitivities, the White House sought to strike a balance in the Dalai Lama's visit. It comes with China still fuming over a US plan to sell $6.4 billion (4.06bn) in arms to Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.

Seeking to avoid alienating Beijing, Mr Obama had delayed meeting the Dalai Lama until after first seeing Chinese leaders during his Asia trip last year.

For yesterday's visit, Mr Obama – like his White House predecessors – denied the Dalai Lama the symbolism of meeting in the Oval Office. Instead, they met in the lesser-known Map Room, signalling to Beijing that the Tibetan monk was not being received as a political leader.

However, honouring the Dalai Lama could still help Mr Obama to burnish his administration's credentials among human rights activists, who accuse him of focusing on global issues with Beijing at the expense of promoting Chinese democratic reforms.

Ahead of the talks, Tibetans living near the Dalai Lama's birthplace in north-west China welcomed the White House meeting with a defiant show of fireworks, a reminder that the Dalai Lama remains a potent figure in his homeland.

Zhu Weiqun, a Chinese Communist Party official, warned this month that an Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama "would damage trust and co-operation between our two countries."

Adding to tensions, Mr Obama vowed recently to address currency issues with Beijing and to "get much tougher" with it on trade.

Washington complains that China keeps its currency undervalued, hurting the competitiveness of American goods.