DHARAMSHALA: Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of a congressional delegation arrived at the Dalai Lama temple on Wednesday to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
This morning, the Dalai Lama’s disciples were also present inside the temple.
A bipartisan US delegation, led by Michael McCaul, Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was welcomed by officials from the Central Tibetan Administration at Kangra Airport in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the meeting between the US delegation and the Dalai Lama, Dolma Tsering Teykhan, vice-chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, said the visit of US lawmakers showed that “Tibet is not alone”.
“They are coming here to experience the different culture that Tibetans have. We will have an official gathering at the conference. It’s a message that Tibet is not alone. The US stands with Tibet and human rights remain important. This is a message not just to Tibet but to all people who aspire for human rights and freedom,” Dolma Tsering Teykhan told ANI.
“I think this sends a very big message to all the people who are suffering from Chinese intimidation and Xi Jinping’s expansionist mentality,” the vice-chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile said.
She condemned China’s authoritarian stance and said Beijing was “angry” at anyone who supported Tibet.
“China is angry at anyone who supports Tibet. We are not here to embarrass or humiliate China. The congressmen and senators are here to support a cause. So, if they have the truth, they will have supporters and if they have the truth or they correct the wrong politics they are doing in Tibet, they will also have a lot of support,” she said.
Earlier this week, the US Congress passed a bill calling on Beijing to again negotiate with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve the dispute over the status and governance of Tibet.
According to Radio Free Asia, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “Promoting Resolution of the Tibet-China Dispute Resolution Act” Act, also known as the “Tibet Resolution Act,” which is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The bill rejects Beijing’s position that Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times and calls on China to “stop spreading disinformation about Tibetan history, Tibetan people and Tibetan institutions, including the Dalai Lama.”
The ministry also called on China to begin consultations with Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and other Tibetan leaders on how to govern Tibet. There have been no formal talks between the two sides since 2010.
Upon arriving in Dharamsala, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “I’m very excited to be here.” Incidentally, Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, which resulted in US-China relations entering a chilly phase.
McCaul confirmed that President Joe Biden intends to sign the Tibet Issue Resolution Act, passed by Congress last week, which calls on Beijing to renegotiate with Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve the governance dispute with China.
The US Congressman stressed the importance of the bill passed by Congress and expressed enthusiasm for an upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Meanwhile, China said on Tuesday it had “serious concerns” about the US delegation’s visit to Dharamsala.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, at a regular press conference yesterday, urged the US to fully recognise the Dalai Lama Group’s anti-China separatist nature and “stop sending wrong messages to the world”.
“Everyone knows that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious leader but a political refugee who engages in anti-China separatist activities in the name of religion,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.
“We are seriously concerned about the relevant reports and urge the US side to fully recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai Lama’s faction, abide by the commitments it has made to China on the Tibet issue, refrain from contacting the Dalai Lama’s faction in any form, and stop sending wrong messages to the world,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. China calls Tibet Xizang.
The US delegation on Tuesday visited the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in Gangchen Kyijong, Dharamsala, and the Tibet Museum and Library, which houses Tibetan writings and archives.
This morning, the Dalai Lama’s disciples were also present inside the temple.
A bipartisan US delegation, led by Michael McCaul, Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was welcomed by officials from the Central Tibetan Administration at Kangra Airport in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the meeting between the US delegation and the Dalai Lama, Dolma Tsering Teykhan, vice-chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, said the visit of US lawmakers showed that “Tibet is not alone”.
“They are coming here to experience the different culture that Tibetans have. We will have an official gathering at the conference. It’s a message that Tibet is not alone. The US stands with Tibet and human rights remain important. This is a message not just to Tibet but to all people who aspire for human rights and freedom,” Dolma Tsering Teykhan told ANI.
“I think this sends a very big message to all the people who are suffering from Chinese intimidation and Xi Jinping’s expansionist mentality,” the vice-chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile said.
She condemned China’s authoritarian stance and said Beijing was “angry” at anyone who supported Tibet.
“China is angry at anyone who supports Tibet. We are not here to embarrass or humiliate China. The congressmen and senators are here to support a cause. So, if they have the truth, they will have supporters and if they have the truth or they correct the wrong politics they are doing in Tibet, they will also have a lot of support,” she said.
Earlier this week, the US Congress passed a bill calling on Beijing to again negotiate with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve the dispute over the status and governance of Tibet.
According to Radio Free Asia, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “Promoting Resolution of the Tibet-China Dispute Resolution Act” Act, also known as the “Tibet Resolution Act,” which is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The bill rejects Beijing’s position that Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times and calls on China to “stop spreading disinformation about Tibetan history, Tibetan people and Tibetan institutions, including the Dalai Lama.”
The ministry also called on China to begin consultations with Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and other Tibetan leaders on how to govern Tibet. There have been no formal talks between the two sides since 2010.
Upon arriving in Dharamsala, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “I’m very excited to be here.” Incidentally, Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, which resulted in US-China relations entering a chilly phase.
McCaul confirmed that President Joe Biden intends to sign the Tibet Issue Resolution Act, passed by Congress last week, which calls on Beijing to renegotiate with Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve the governance dispute with China.
The US Congressman stressed the importance of the bill passed by Congress and expressed enthusiasm for an upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Meanwhile, China said on Tuesday it had “serious concerns” about the US delegation’s visit to Dharamsala.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian, at a regular press conference yesterday, urged the US to fully recognise the Dalai Lama Group’s anti-China separatist nature and “stop sending wrong messages to the world”.
“Everyone knows that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious leader but a political refugee who engages in anti-China separatist activities in the name of religion,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.
“We are seriously concerned about the relevant reports and urge the US side to fully recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai Lama’s faction, abide by the commitments it has made to China on the Tibet issue, refrain from contacting the Dalai Lama’s faction in any form, and stop sending wrong messages to the world,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. China calls Tibet Xizang.
The US delegation on Tuesday visited the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in Gangchen Kyijong, Dharamsala, and the Tibet Museum and Library, which houses Tibetan writings and archives.
