(19 Feb 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Times Square, pan to news ticker
2. People walking in Times Square
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kevin Hicks, Voxpop
"I have two thoughts. Number one, conversation is always good, and world leaders should always meet. My contrarian view is I''m always worried about pissing off our largest creditor. So, there is a little of both. So, I guess that''s why they get paid the big bucks to be diplomats and they just have to be diplomatic about it."
4. Pull out from news ticker to wide of Times Square
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sandra Munroe, Voxpop
"I think it''s important that we have that relationship (with the Dalai Lama) and that he (US President Barack Obama) connects us. I think that''s important. I don''t see any reason why it wouldn''t be appropriate."
6. Pan from news ticker to people walking in Times Square
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Allison Smith, Voxpop
"I think that we can''t feel like we have to step on other people''s toes to conduct the US business abroad. It''s not necessarily, I mean it''s important to think about who we might affect and whose feelings we might hurt or in terms of our future relations, but I think that it''s also important to make a statement to the world that we''re not going to do things just because China might not like it, so."
8. Pull out from television screen to wide of Times Square
STORYLINE
New Yorkers on Thursday reacted to US President Barack Obama''s low-key meeting with the Dalai Lama earlier in the day, which was kept off-camera in an attempt to avoid inflaming tensions with China.
Obama personally welcomed his fellow Nobel Peace laureate to the White House on Thursday and lauded his goals for the Tibetan people.
At the risk of angering Beijing, Obama did tell the Dalai Lama that he backs the preservation of Tibet''s culture and supports human rights for its people.
He also gave encouragement to the Dalai Lama''s request for talks with the Chinese government.
But there was no welcome fanfare for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader at the White House; Obama made no public comments, issuing only a brief statement through his spokesman and he banned reporters and TV cameras, distributing a single in-house photo of the two leaders.
The careful steps were in consideration of China, which considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and has warned that a meeting with Obama could hurt US-China relations.
Given that concern some Americans still generally feel Obama''s meeting with the Dalai Lama was appropriate.
Walking through Times Square on Thursday, Kevin Hicks said conversation between world leaders was "always good", but it might not be a good idea to anger one of the United States'' main creditors.
Allison Smith said it was important to make a statement to the world that the United States is not going to do things just because China might not like it.
After his meeting with President Obama, the Dalai Lama chided Beijing for taking a "childish" and "limited" approach to Tibet''s quest for greater autonomy.
Although the Dalai Lama is revered in much of the world, China regards any official foreign leader''s contact with the Buddhist monk as an infringement on its sovereignty over the mountainous region.
China is a rising global rival for the United States and a hoped-for partner.
With the Chinese government holding nearly 800 (b) billion US dollars of federal US debt, Beijing has extraordinary leverage in the relationship.
So concern about reprisals, such as reduced co-operation with Washington or other punitive steps, has led American presidents, including Obama, to tread carefully.
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