President Bush will this week become the first sitting US President to appear publicly with the Dalai Lama, a move that has alarmed China at a time of increased tensions between Tibetan monks and Beijing.

Bill Clinton didn’t do this? Heavens, no– he couldn’t afford to offend one of his campaign donors.

Mr Bush will also play host to Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader at the White House tomorrow before attending a ceremony on Wednesday where the Dalai Lama will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the US Congress’s highest civilian honour.

Fortune cookie say “strife will abound.”

In their two previous meetings, Mr Bush – like other presidents – met the Dalai Lama in private to avoid offending China, which accuses him of being a separatist intent on winning Tibetan independence from Beijing.

The Dalai Lama’s congressional award and US visit have been condemned by Beijing, which accused Congress of “interfering in China’s internal affairs”.

When the Chinese commies rolled into Tibet with tanks, they epitomized interfering in others’ internal affairs.

What’s Chinese for chutzpah?