Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile, in Dharamshala on June 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration in exile has welcomed Presidential assent to the Resolve Tibet Act in the U.S. Welcoming President Joe Biden’s signature on the Act, Sikyong Penpa Tsering has vowed to campaign for the Tibetan issue through “non-violent means”. The approval of the Resolve Tibet Act by the U.S. President drew a strong response from Beijing, which argued that the law “grossly interfered in China’s domestic affairs”.

“Please accept heartfelt prayers of gratitude from the Tibetan people, especially those inside occupied Tibet, who will rejoice in the renewed hope and inspiration that today’s victory brings to their hearts. May the just cause of Tibet prevail. May non-violence and truth prevail,” said Sikyong Tsering, after President Biden signed the text of the Resolve Tibet Act on July 12. Welcoming the presidential assent, U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern said, the new law “helps the U.S. counter misinformation from the People’s Republic of China and support the rights of Tibetans.”

The Act, which was passed by the House in February and the Senate in May, enhances U.S. support for Tibet and promotes dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama for a peaceful solution.

Commenting on the development, the CTA observed that the U.S. law declares the officials of the Chinese government as well as the Communist Party of China are often “historically inaccurate” while arguing about China’s claims over Tibet. The CTA further said that the act will “actively combat disinformation propagated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party concerning Tibet, including falsehoods about the historical background of Tibet, its people, and its institutions, including those associated with the Dalai Lama.”

In response, Beijing has “firmly” opposed the presidential approval. Citing a spokesperson, a Xinhua report said the act “violated the U.S. government’s long-held position and commitments and the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interested in China’s domestic affairs.” The Xinhua report referred to Tibet by its Chinese name —Xizang — and said the U.S. law ‘sent a severely wrong signal to the “Tibet independence” forces.’

Sikyong Penpa Tsering expressed gratitude to the lawmakers in the U.S. Congress and described the Resolve Tibet Act as a “significant step forward in solidifying the U.S.’s stance on Tibet’s historical status and its commitment to a lasting, negotiated solution to the Tibet-China conflict through non-violent means based on international law.”

The visit by the seven-member U.S. lawmakers team led by Representative Michael McCaul had drawn a strong protest from Beijing. The delegation had started the visit by meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama ahead of his 89^th birthday which was celebrated worldwide by the Tibetan diaspora on 6 July. The adoption of the Resolve Tibet Act and the visit of the bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers to Dharamshala also coincided with the growing concern about China’s strong position on the issue of succession of the present Dalai Lama.

Beijing’s representatives have been claiming that the next Dalai Lama would be reincarnated inside the People’s Republic of China while others including former Tibetan Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay have been arguing that there are historical precedents of past Dalai Lamas being reincarnated outside contemporary China like Mongolia, and Tawang in India. During the visit, Michael McCaul, who is also the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had spoken of Chinese interference into the “succession of the Dalai Lama” and warned that the “U.S. will not let that happen.”

India had refused to get drawn into some of the strong remarks that the U.S. lawmakers had made in public during their visit to Dharamshala. However, the US lawmakers were hosted at an official dinner by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and later met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.