Relations between the U.S. and China are already on edge over Beijing's increasingly aggressive steps to assert itself in the region, including in territorial disputes with its smaller neighbors. China's emergence as a leading global economic and military power has strained ties with Washington, and the two have also clashed over cybertheft and human rights. A frequent visitor to the U.S., the Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since fleeing China in 1959.