China has reacted strongly to a meeting between the US President Barack Obama and Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The Chinese Foreign Ministry described the meeting in Washington as a gross interference in China's internal affairs. The White House said the talks underscored President Obama's strong support for the preservation of what it called Tibet's unique religious, cultural linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans. President Obama had last met the Dalai Lama in February 2010.