▁it ▁had ▁rejected ▁the ▁Dal ai ▁L ama ' s ▁vis a ▁application , ▁saying ▁instead ▁that ▁the ▁Tib et an ▁spiritual ▁leader ▁had ▁cancel led ▁his ▁trip , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁very ▁likely ▁that ▁relations ▁with ▁China ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁V IS A ▁being ▁denied . ▁This ▁is ▁evident ▁by ▁two ▁facts . ▁First ly , ▁vis as ▁have ▁been ▁denied ▁to ▁the ▁D ai ▁La i ▁L ama ▁before , ▁and ▁in ▁almost ▁every ▁case ▁the ▁destination ▁country ▁had ▁strong ▁t ies ▁with ▁China , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁claimed ▁that ▁China ▁asked ▁those ▁govern ments ▁not ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁the ▁Nobel ▁peace ▁la ure ate . ▁Also , ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government ▁react ed ▁in ▁anger ▁as ▁US ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁ignored ▁their ▁request ▁to ▁not ▁meet ▁with ▁the ▁ex iled ▁Tib et an ▁leader . ▁Second ly , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁ref us al , ▁the ▁top ▁sp ok esp erson ▁for ▁international ▁relations , ▁Cl ays on ▁M ony ela , ▁could ▁not ▁comment ▁on ▁the ▁matter ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁China ▁on ▁business . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁sc andal , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government ▁pra ised ▁South ▁Africa ▁for ▁their ▁ref us al ▁of ▁the ▁vis a , ▁and ▁international ▁relations ▁department ▁sp ok esp erson ▁Cl ays on ▁M ony ela ' s ▁final ▁comment ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁Tib et an ▁spiritual ▁leader ▁had ▁cancel led ▁his ▁trip ▁to