China’s embassy to the US sent a threatening letter to lawmakers who visited the Dalai Lama in Tibet, asserting that the visit interfered with China’s internal affairs and violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Minister-Counselor Zhou Zheng urged the Congress to cancel the trip to help maintain the current stabilizing momentum of US-China relations. Despite these warnings, the bipartisan House delegation met with the Dalai Lama in India, with House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul stating that they did not let the CCP intimidate them.
Staten Island GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis criticized Communist China’s oppression of the Tibetan people and warnings to the lawmakers who visited Tibetans living in exile in India. She emphasized the need for the US and the international community to counter Chinese misinformation about Tibet’s history, support the Tibetan people’s self-determination, and plan for the Dalai Lama’s successor. The delegation also met with officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile in India, who have had no relations with Beijing since 2010.
The Chinese embassy claimed in a letter to the congressional delegation that human rights conditions in Tibet were better than ever, contradicting reports of forced labor camps for Tibetan farmers. The lawmakers highlighted the passage of the Resolve Tibet Act, which aims to counter Beijing’s disinformation and assert the freedom of Tibet. House Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi called the legislation a message to the Chinese government about the US’s understanding and support for Tibet’s freedom.
While President Biden has not yet signed the bill into law, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the President would do what he believes is best for the American people. In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry warned that China would take “resolute measures” if the White House signed the bill into law. This visit marked the second time Pelosi ignored Chinese warnings after visiting Taiwan in August 2022.
The Dalai Lama, who has been in exile since fleeing Tibet after the failed uprising in 1959, was expected to visit the US for medical treatment, though it is unclear if he met with any other officials while in the country. The lawmakers who visited him in India expressed their defiance against Chinese intimidation and their commitment to supporting Tibet’s freedom. The visit highlighted the ongoing tensions between the US and China regarding human rights, sovereignty, and Tibet’s status. Despite the warnings and pressure from China, the bipartisan delegation stood firm in their support for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.
