 "'You'll be gone...': Nancy Pelosi's warning to Xi Jinping on Tibet issue")
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is part of a United States (US) bipartisan delegation that met with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, issued a stark warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating that while the Tibetan spiritual leader's legacy will live forever, the Chinese President will be gone in a few years.
News agency ANI quoted Pelosi, who is on a two-day visit to India, saying, "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."
Adding that the Dalai Lama would not approve of her comment against Xi Jinping, Pelosi said, "When I criticise the Chinese government, he (Dalai Lama) says, let's pray for Nancy to rid her of her negative attitudes." Pelosi made these remarks during the public felicitation programme at Tsuglagkhang Complex in Dharamshala.
Arriving in India on Tuesday, the bipartisan Congressional delegation was received by officials of the Central Tibetan Administration at the Kangra Airport in Himachal Pradesh.
Last week, the US Congress passed a Bill that aims to counter China's position that it has controlled Tibet since 'ancient times' and to urge Beijing to re-engage with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve their dispute over Tibet's status and governance.
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After the US House of Representatives passed the 'Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act', also known as the 'Resolve Tibet Act', the Bill is now awaiting US President Joe Biden's signature to become law.
Regarding the Bill, ANI quoted Pelosi as saying, "You heard our colleagues talk about this legislation that was passed last week. We had been fighting this for a long time and in the spirituality of His Holiness, with manoeuvring inside the Congress, we made progress."
"But it's different now with the passage of this Bill (Resolve Tibet Act) because this Bill is a message to the Chinese government that we have clarity in our thinking and our understanding of this issue of the freedom of Tibet," Pelosi added.
"They (Chinese government) are trying to erase the culture (of Tibet) by reducing the use of the language. They are trying something that we cannot let them get away with. I'll be gracious to the Chinese people, I don't know that they're up to this, but we do know that the Chinese government is, and we do know that they must get the message," said the former US House Speaker, adding, "This legislation sends the message, the House and the Senate and soon to be signed by Joe Biden, the president of the United States..."
On Tuesday, Republican Chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, who is also part of the bipartisan US delegation, affirmed President Biden's intention to sign the 'Resolve Tibet Act'.
US Representative Congressman Gregory Meeks, who is heading the US delegation's visit to India, also issued a strong response to Beijing's criticism of their visit, stating that the US was going to stand for what is right.
"China can express unhappiness if it wants. We are going to stand for what is right," said Meeks, adding, "What is right is to make sure that Tibetans have freedom. They are able to return to their native land and they are able to keep their culture & history... That's what is important...."
How has China reacted to US delegation's Dharamshala visit?
On Tuesday, Beijing said that it was "gravely concerned" over the US delegation's visit to Dharamshala.
Addressing a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian asked the US to fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai Lama and his group and to "stop sending the wrong signal" to the world.
The seven-member US delegation includes Representatives Michael McCaul, Nancy Pelosi, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Gregory Meeks, Nicole Malliotakis, Jim McGovern, and Ami Bera.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to travel to the US for medical treatment, his office said in a statement on June 3.
What is the Resolve Tibet Act?
The Bill, called the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, aims to harden Washington's position on Tibet and pressure Beijing into resuming negotiations with the Dalai Lama. No formal dialogue between the Chinese and Tibetan authorities has taken place since 2010.
The Bill also aims to direct funds to counter what it describes as "disinformation" from China about Tibetan history, institutions, and people.
The Bill refutes Beijing's claim that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times. Going a step further, it would also make it official US policy that the dispute over Tibet's status is unresolved.
The Act aims to enhance US support for Tibet by empowering US State Department officials to actively and directly counter disinformation about Tibet from the Chinese government, rejecting false claims that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.
The Act will also push for negotiations without preconditions between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or the Tibetan community's democratically elected leaders.
Finally, it will also make it the US State Department's responsibility to coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts towards the goal of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.
(With agency inputs)