China opposes U.S bill reaffirming Tibetan rights

BEIJING, China (NBC) – China firmly opposed a bill passed by the United States Congress that reaffirms certain rights for Tibetans, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing Tuesday.

The political head of Tibetans in exile welcomed legislation passed by Congress that reaffirms the rights of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a move that infuriated China.

China regards the exiled Dalai Lama as a dangerous “splittist,” or separatist, and the latest show of support from Congress could increase already tense ties between the two countries.

The Chinese foreign ministry accused the U.S. of meddling in its internal affairs and warned the U.S. against signing the legislation into law, Wang said.

Wang stated, “In the past four years under the leadership of Pompeo, the U.S. has weaponized its visa policy, and has, under the pretext of so-called Hong Kong-related, Xinjiang-related, Tibet-related, religious, and human rights issues, continuously imposed visa sanctions on Chinese personnel. Such relevant actions have seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, hindered the normal personnel exchanges between the two countries, and damaged the China-U.S. relations, to which China strongly opposes and condemns.”