A bipartisan US congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala, India on Wednesday, angering China, which views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist.
This comes after Washington and Beijing recently resumed negotiations after years of turmoil that began following the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods under the Trump administration, when relations had deteriorated further in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising military tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
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A high-level delegation led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who also included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, arrived Tuesday in the hill town where the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been based since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. There, they met with officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile who are seeking greater autonomy for Tibet.
Beijing does not recognise the regime and has not held any dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.
In this photo shared by the Dalai Lama’s office, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, left, is received by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the Tibetan leader’s official residence in Dharamsala, India, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Tenzin Choejor/Office of the Dalai Lama via The Associated Press)
Seven U.S. lawmakers met with the spiritual leader on Wednesday before gathering at a temple just outside the 88-year-old Dalai Lama’s residence, where he addressed a crowd of several hundred people waving American and Tibetan flags.
They told the crowd that a key focus of their visit was to highlight the Tibet Issue Resolution Bill passed by the US Congress last week. The bill aims to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities in the hope of a peaceful resolution between Tibet and Beijing. The bill now goes to the White House where it is due to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Pelosi drew applause when she said the bill “sends a message to the Chinese government that our thinking and understanding is clear on the issue of Tibetan freedom.”
Republican Representative McCaul said the move reaffirmed America’s support for the Tibetan people’s 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 have not succumbed to the Chinese Communist Party’s intimidation and that’s why we’re here today,” he said as crowds cheered.
But the visit and the newly passed bill sparked immediate backlash from Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday urged Washington not to support Tibetan independence, saying the White House “must not sign the bill” or China would take “resolute measures”, without elaborating.
“Everyone knows that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious leader, but a political exile who engages in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion,” Lin added, urging the US side to “avoid any contact with the Dalai Lama organization in any way and stop sending wrong messages to the world.”
The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and the protection of Tibet’s unique Buddhist culture.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, has a history of interacting with U.S. government officials, including every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama, except for Donald Trump. He has yet to meet with Biden since taking office in 2021.
The Dalai Lama is due to fly to the United States on Thursday for treatment on his knee, but it is unclear whether he will meet with officials during his stay.
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Beijing, meanwhile, has repeatedly urged the United States not to interfere in Tibet affairs, saying the Tibetan people have enjoyed social stability and economic growth under Chinese rule.
India considers Tibet to be part of China but accepts Tibetan exiles.
