DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — A bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States has met with India’s President Donald Trump. Dalai Lama The incident, which took place at his residence in Dharamsala, India on Wednesday, has sparked anger in China, which considers the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism a dangerous separatist.
This has come to light at a time when Washington and Beijing have recently Talks resume after several years of turmoil Tensions between the two countries have existed since the Trump administration imposed tariffs on Chinese goods. Relations deteriorated further following the Covid-19 pandemic and rising military tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
The high-level delegation, led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul and including Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on Tuesday arrived in the mountain town that the Nobel Peace Prize winner has made his headquarters since fleeing. tibet He moved to Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. There, he met officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile, which seeks greater autonomy for Tibet.
Beijing does not recognise the administration and has not held any talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives since 2010.
After meeting the spiritual leader on Wednesday, seven US lawmakers addressed hundreds of people who had gathered at a monastery just outside the residence of the 88-year-old Dalai Lama, waving American and Tibetan flags.
He told people that the main purpose of his visit was to underscore the Resolve Tibet Act passed by the US Congress last week, which aims to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials with the hope of finding a peaceful solution between Tibet and Beijing. The bill must now be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature.
Pelosi said the bill was “a message to the Chinese government that there is clarity in our thinking and understanding on the issue of Tibet’s independence,” which prompted applause.
Republican Rep. McCaul said it reaffirmed U.S. support for Tibetans' right to self-determination. “Just this week our delegation received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party warning us not to come here… but we haven't let the CCP intimidate us because we're here today,” he said to cheers from the crowd.
However, the visit and the newly passed bill have sparked a sharp reaction from Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday urged Washington not to support Tibetan independence and said the White House “should not sign this bill into law” or else China would take “resolute measures,” though he did not elaborate on what those steps might be.
“It is well known that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure but a political exile who has engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion,” Lin said, urging the US side “to refrain from any contact with the Dalai Lama in any form and stop sending the wrong signals to the world.”
The Dalai Lama has denied being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and the preservation of Tibet's indigenous Buddhist culture.
The Tibetan spiritual leader has a history of contact with American officials, including US presidents ranging from Jimmy Carter to the. Barack Obama — Except Donald Trump. He has yet to meet Biden since taking office in 2021.
The Dalai Lama is expected to fly to the US on Thursday for treatment of his knee, but it is not clear whether he will meet any officials there.
Meanwhile, Beijing has repeatedly called on the US not to interfere in Tibetan affairs and He argued that the people of Tibet There has been social stability and economic growth under its rule.
Although India considers Tibet as a part of China, it gives refuge to exiled Tibetans there.
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Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report. Pathi reported from New Delhi.