I would have met Dalai Lama if I were the US President: McCain

Washington, November 11: Falling short of calling it a "mistake", top Republican Senator John McCain today said he would have met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama if he were the president of the United States.

McCain, who lost to President Barack Obama in the last year's presidential elections, said this in an interview to CNN, wherein he was critical of the Obama Administration adopting a softer approach on human rights in China and not meeting the Dalai Lama, when he was here last month.

"I can't say it was a mistake. I have to give the President the benefit of the doubt," McCain told CNN in an interview when asked if Obama not meeting the Dalai Lama was a mistake.

"I would have met with the Dalai Lama. I would not have -- if I had been Secretary of State -- I don't think that the secretary of state should have said before she went on her first visit to China, that -- she said -- quote -- 'We're not going to talk about human rights'," McCain said.

"We should always talk about human rights. We also have to put them in a context where they may not be the most important issue, but they're always important. And they should never be removed from our lexicon," he said.

Obama leaves on a four-nation trip to Asia later this week, during which he would travel to China to hold talks with its top leadership.