China today expressed its firm opposition to foreign leaders' contact with the Dalai Lama. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency that the Chinese position on this issue is consistent and clear. The Chinese statement assumes significance as it comes days after a key aide to Barack Obama said, the US President would be ready to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader at an appropriate time.<br/><br/>US National Security Council's Senior Director for East Asian Affairs, Jeffrey Bader, who earlier this week said that Obama, during his upcoming visit to China, will make it clear to his counterpart Hu Jintao that he intends to meet the Dalai Lama in the future.