Dharamshala, June 19 (UNI) Former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said that a U.S. bill that aims to press China to resolve the Tibet dispute is “a message to the Chinese Government that we have clarity in our thinking and our understanding of this issue of the freedom of Tibet”.
Pelosi’s remarks on the “Resolve Tibet Act”, that awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, came on a day when she along with other members of a Congressional delegation met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at his palace in McLeodganj, Dharamshala.
The team was led by Michael McCaul, a Republican representative from Texas, who also chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
McCaul said President Biden would soon sign the bill that aims to press China to resolve the Tibet dispute. The Act urges Beijing to engage with Tibetan leaders and resume talks, which have been halted since 2010, to resolve their governance disagreement with China peacefully.
Pelosi said, “…His Holiness Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will live a long time and his legacy will live forever. But you, the President of China, you’ll be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything.”
“Dalai Lama would not approve of my saying that…. when I criticise the Chinese government, he says, let’s pray for Nancy to rid her of her negative attitudes. I hope he will indulge me today to say that change is on the way. As our colleagues have said hope brings some faith and the faith of the Tibetan people in the goodness of others is what is going to make all the difference,” Pelosi said.
Meanwhile, China urged US President Joe Biden not to sign the Tibet policy bill, warning of “resolute measures”, as it expressed “strong concern” over the visit of delegation to Dharamshala.
Beijing, which calls the Dalai Lama a dangerous “splittist” or separatist, said it was seriously concerned about the visit and the bill.
It urged the U.S. lawmakers not to make contact with what it calls the “Dalai clique”.
The Dalai Lama, an 88-year-old Nobel peace laureate, fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. Since then, the Dalai Lama has been living a life in exile in India. Chinese officials, however, object to at any interaction he has with officials of other countries.
The Tibetan spiritual leader has met U.S. officials, including presidents, during previous visits to the United States, but Biden has not met him since taking office in 2021.
He is due to fly to the U.S. this week for medical treatment, but it is unclear if he will have any engagements there during his stay there.
