In December 2008, Ma had said the time was not ripe for the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan, apparently for fear of hurting improving relations with China.

The Dalai Lama, in exile in India since 1959 following an abortive uprising against China's invasion of Tibet, has close ties with Taiwan. He has some 500,000 disciples on the island and opened his representative office in Taipei in 1998.

He drew large crowds when he visited Taiwan in 1997 and 2001 to lecture on Buddhism.