Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul, and other members of a congressional delegation from he United States met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama at his residence on Wednesday.
The delegation visited the Dalai Lama's residence, which is in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, with the head of the delegation, Michael McCaul, saying President Joe Biden would soon sign a bill - Resolve Tibet Act - that aims to press China to resolve the Tibet dispute.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an address after meeting the Dalai Lama, gave out a strong message to China. She 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 criticize 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...," she said.
After arrival at the Gaggal Airport in Dharamshala, McCaul expressed enthusiasm about the visit and said, "We are excited to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to talk about many things, including the bill which passed by Congress basically says that the United states of America stands with the people of Tibet."
The bipartisan bill aims to enhance US support for Tibet and promote dialogue between the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama toward a peaceful resolution of the long-standing dispute between Tibet and China.
The Tibet Policy Bill seeks to push Beijing to hold talks, which have been stalled since 2010, with Tibetan leaders to reach a negotiated agreement on Tibet and spur China to address Tibetan people's aspirations on their historical, cultural, religious and linguistic identity.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, 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 US House of Representatives voted 391-26 last Wednesday to approve the Promoting and Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, which was passed by the Senate, as per a media report which added that the Bill would direct funds to counter what it calls “disinformation” from Beijing about Tibet’s history, people and institutions.
The bill also seeks to counter China’s narrative about its control over Tibet and promote dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.
Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala is home to the 88-year-old Tibetan monk in exile. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.
