US weathers Beijing's fury as Bush attends ceremony with Dalai Lama

President George Bush will today defy White House tradition and official Chinese anger by joining the Dalai Lama in the US Capitol, where the spiritual leader will receive America's highest civilian honour.

The White House softened the slight to Beijing by keeping yesterday's meeting between the Dalai Lama and Mr Bush a distinctly private affair, and by previously assuring the president's attendance at the 2008 summer Olympics in China.

However, Chinese officials yesterday warned that the spectacle of President Bush standing by the side of the Dalai Lama as he is awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of Honour could seriously damage relations with Beijing.

China's foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, called on Mr Bush to stay away from the ceremony. "We solemnly demand that the US cancel the extremely wrong arrangements," Mr Yang told reporters in Beijing. "It seriously violates the norm of international relations and seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people and interfered with China's internal affairs." China also withdrew from an international strategy session on Iran scheduled for today in protest at the honour accorded to the Dalai Lama. A Chinese official said the timing of the meeting was "not suitable".