A high-level US congressional delegation, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, met the Dalai Lama at his residence in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala on Wednesday, drawing a sharp criticism in advance from the Chinese government which views the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader as a separatist.
Led by Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the delegation arrived in Dharamshala on Tuesday, which has been the Dalai Lama’s home since the 1960s.
During their visit, the delegation also met with representatives of the Tibetan government in exile, which advocates for Tibetan autonomy under Chinese rule.
The congressional visit comes after the recent passage of a bipartisan bill urging China to engage in dialogue with Tibetan leaders to address longstanding conflicts.
China’s criticism of the visit was immediate and unsurprising. Its leaders consider the government in exile illegal and regard any support for the cause of autonomy for Tibet, which they call Xizang, as interference in internal Chinese matters.
“We urge the US side to fully recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group, honor the commitments the US has made to China on issues related to Xizang, stop sending the wrong signal to the world,” The New York Times report the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi as saying in a statement on Tuesday night.
US officials have frequently engaged with the 88-year-old Dalai Lama. However, Pelosi’s inclusion in the delegation brought reminders of her 2022 visit to Taiwan, the independently governed island that China claims as its territory, during her tenure as House Speaker.
This controversial visit sparked concerns within the Biden administration about further straining an already chilly relationship with Beijing. China responded sharply, imposing trade restrictions on Taiwan and conducting military exercises near the island.
According to The New York Times report, the delegation’s trip to India coincides with deepening ties between Washington and New Delhi, partly driven by a perceived common threat posed by China. Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, is currently in New Delhi, engaging in multiple rounds of discussions with Indian officials aimed at expanding defense and technology cooperation.
These extensive talks, taking place shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third term, underscore Washington’s prioritisation of its relationship with India. American officials increasingly view New Delhi as a strategic counterbalance to Beijing, added the report.
Tenzin Lekshay, a spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administration, the government in exile, said that Tibet’s situation should not be seen through “the lens of increasing rivalry between the US and China,” but as a reminder of how the Tibetan way of life “is facing an existential threat” as China assimilates the region.
“We do hope that leaders of the free world will stand for the Tibet cause, particularly stressing the Chinese leadership to reinstall the dialogue to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict,” The New York Times report quoted Lekshay as saying.
With inputs from agencies
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