Beijing, June 19: China on Tuesday 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 a high-level US Congress delegation to Dharamshala to meet the Dalai Lama.A bipartisan US congressional delegation, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaulis, is visiting India to strengthen bilateral ties and to meet the 88-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is part of the delegation that reached Dharamsala, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday. Dharamsala is the seat of power for Tibet’s government in exile since the spiritual leader stepped into India six decades ago.
China officially refers to Tibet as Xizang.
Lin also urged Biden not to sign the bipartisan Tibet policy bill adopted by both the US Senate and the House of Representatives. The bill awaits Biden’s signature to make it into a law, according to media reports in Washington.
The bill seeks to counter China’s narrative about its control over Tibet and promote dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.
Claiming that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times, Lin said it always remained China’s territory and “Tibet related affairs are purely China’s internal affairs that brook no external interference.”
“No one and no force should ever attempt to destabilise Tibet to contain and suppress China. Such attempts will never succeed,” he said.