Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- China's foreign ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Clark T. Randt today to protest after Congress gave Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama its highest civilian award.

``We're asking the U.S. government to take serious measures to correct this issue,'' Liu Jianchao, the ministry's spokesman said at a regular press conference in Beijing today, without giving details.

President George W. Bush, defying Chinese protests, yesterday become the first sitting U.S. president to appear in public with the Dalai Lama, presenting the award and urging the government in Beijing to welcome the Tibetan back to the country. Bush also met the Dalai Lama privately at the White House on Oct. 16.

``The medal has severely hurt the Chinese people's feelings,'' Liu said today, repeating charges that the recognition and Bush's attendance at the ceremony amount to interference with China's internal affairs.

Tibet had varying degrees of autonomy until the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, prompting a failed revolt in 1959. The Dalai Lama then fled to India and has since called first for Tibetan independence and, later, for a form of autonomy that includes religious freedoms.

``I have no intention of using any agreement on autonomy as a stepping stone for Tibet's independence,'' the Dalai Lama, 72, said at the ceremony yesterday. ``I have no hidden agenda.''

The Dalai Lama entered the Rotunda to applause from the crowd and sat next to Bush for the ceremony.

`Sincere Effort?'

``The Dalai Lama advocates that all Han Chinese leave Tibet,'' China's spokesman Liu said, referring to China's largest ethnic group. ``How can this be a sincere effort to recognize China's sovereignty? His assertion of recognizing `one China' is just a scheme to get international support.''

Representative Tom Lantos, a California Democrat who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged China to invite the Dalai Lama to the Chinese capital for ``serious discussions.'' ``He accepts the sovereignty of China'' in Tibet, Lantos said yesterday. ``Let this man of peace visit Beijing.''

Liu rejected the call. ``We don't need other people's directions.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Allen T. Cheng in Beijing at acheng13@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 18, 2007 04:32 EDT