The White House vigorously defended President Bush’s plan to meet with the Dalai Lama on Tuesday, brushing aside China’s warning that it would damage relations between Washington and Beijing. Both Bush and members of Congress — who are presenting him with the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday— are stirring anger in China by honouring the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet’s Buddhists.

“We solemnly demand that the US cancel the extremely wrong arrangements,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing. “It violates the norm of international relations and seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China’s internal affairs.”

At the White House, presidential spokesman Tony Fratto said: “We understand the concerns of the Chinese.” But he also said Bush always has attended congressional award presentation ceremonies, has met with the Dalai Lama several times before and had no reason not to meet with him again. “This is a meeting with a spiritual leader. This is not a meeting with a, for example, a head of state,” Fratto added.