tibet-china bill: After Taiwan and trade war, US turns spotlight on China’s control of Tibet

US-China relations are set to become more complicated with Tibet emerging as new point of contention. Recently, a US bill challenging Beijing’s claim that Tibet has been part of China since ‘ancient times’ was passed by US lawmakers. The bill also promotes a peaceful resolution to the longstanding dispute between Tibet and China by encouraging dialogue between the Chinese Communist Party and Dalai Lama. The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act will now be sent to President Biden, who is expected to sign it into law.

US-China relations are already under strain due to the ongoing trade war and America’s involvement with Taiwan.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 391-26 to approve the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, which passed the Senate last month.

Tibet-China Bill and US-china relations

The bill was introduced in the Senate by Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley. It aims to allocate funds to counter what it describes as “disinformation” from Beijing regarding Tibet’s history, people, and institutions.

“The people of Tibet deserve to be in charge of their own future, and, today, Congress has voted to stand with Tibetans in their struggle for freedom and self-determination,” said Merkley, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

It has been reported that the US policy might redefine “Tibet” to encompass not just the Tibet Autonomous Region as specified by the Chinese government, but also the Tibetan regions within the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan.The bill also promotes resuming negotiations with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The two sides have not held a formal dialogue since 2010.“Passing this bill demonstrates America’s resolve that the [Chinese Communist Party] status quo in Tibet is not acceptable and I can think of no greater message or gift to the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet,” said Republican representative Michael McCaul of Texas on the House floor Tuesday.

The House had already passed a version of the Senate bill in February.

China’s Tibet claim

Beijing claims that Tibet has been under central Chinese control for more than 700 years, although Tibetan activists assert that there were long periods during which the region was largely self-governed.

China has often rejected the international community’s support for Tibet by labeling Tibet as an internal matter and claiming that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times. However, the bill dismisses that claim as “historically inaccurate.”

US lawmakers to meet Dalai Lama

Meanwhile, Republican Representative Michael McCaul is expected to lead a bipartisan US congressional delegation to India in the coming days, where he and other lawmakers, including Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, plan to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, reported Reuters.

McCaul, Pelosi and a group of other U.S. lawmakers will visit Dharamsala – the town in the northern Indian Himalayas where the 88-year-old Tibetan monk lives in exile – from June 18-19, an official of the Tibetan government in-exile, known as the Central Tibetan Administration, told Reuters.

The meeting comes days ahead of a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to the US to undergo medical treatment for his knees, but it is unclear whether he will have any engagements during that time.

U.S. lawmakers have regularly visited Dharamsala and touted the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama’s work to draw global support for linguistic and cultural autonomy in his remote, mountainous homeland. China considers him a dangerous separatist.

The lawmakers’ trip is likely to coincide with a separate visit to India by top Biden administration officials, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who have sought to boost U.S.-India ties amid Washington’s growing rivalry with Beijing.