A US Congressional delegation visited the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in Dharamshala on Tuesday. The top delegation, which includes former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arrived in India earlier today.
The American delegation was received by officials of the Central Tibetan Administration at Kangra Airport.
Republican Chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul is heading the bipartisan delegation from the US. The lawmakers are slated to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Dharamshala as well.
Pelosi, part of the US delegation, said, “It’s very exciting to be here,” underscoring the delegation’s purpose to support the Resolve Tibet Act and visit the Dalai Lama.
Whereas, McCaul affirmed President Joe Biden’s intention to sign the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, which was passed last week by the Congress. The Resolve Tibet Act urges Beijing to re-engage with Tibetan leaders for a peaceful resolution of their governance dispute with China.
McCaul, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama, emphasising the significance of the bill passed by Congress.
“We are very excited to see His Holiness tomorrow to talk about many things including the bill we passed out of Congress which basically says that the United States stands with the people of Tibet,” McCaul stated. When asked if President Biden would sign the bill, McCaul confirmed, “Yes, he will.”
US Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks echoed the delegation’s sentiment, emphasising their purpose of reinforcing the resolution and meeting with the Dalai Lama. ” I am very excited to see His Holiness, to show that the US is with him,” Meeks said.
Earlier this week, the US Congress passed a bill urging Beijing to re-engage with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve their dispute over the status and governance of Tibet, Radio Free Asia reported.
The US House of Representatives passed the bill ‘Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act’, also known as the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, and it now heads to President Joe Biden for a signature to become law, Radio Free Asia reported.
The legislation rejects Beijing’s stance that Tibet being part of China since ancient times and urges China to “cease its propagation of disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions, including that of the Dalai Lama.”
It also urged China to begin talks with the Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of Tibet, and other Tibetan leaders about how Tibet is governed. No formal talks between two sides have taken place since 2010.
The seven-member visiting US delegation includes Rep Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Rep Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep Nicole Malliotakis, Rep Jim McGovern, and Rep Ami Bera.