tibetans-anticipate-biden-dalai-lama-meeting

A bipartisan US congressional delegation, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, is visiting India this week with plans to meet the Dalai Lama, a move likely to provoke a diplomatic protest from Beijing, which views such interactions as interference in its sovereignty.

 

The delegation includes former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W Meeks, House Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Ranking Member Ami Bera, and Congresswomen Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Nicole Malliotakis.

 

During their visit to India, scheduled for June 18-19, the delegation will meet with Indian government officials and the American business community to strengthen bilateral ties.

 

They will also visit McLeodganj, near Dharamsala, to meet with the Dalai Lama, marking a significant contact since his 2016 meeting with then President Barack Obama.

 

"I am honoured to meet with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and underscore bipartisan US support for Tibet's autonomy," said McCaul in a statement. "Our visit aims to deepen relations with India, a vital partner and the world's largest democracy."

 

Ranking Member Meeks added, "Our longstanding relationship with India has become increasingly consequential. I look forward to discussing with His Holiness how the US can support the Tibetan people."

 

The Dalai Lama, 88, is travelling to the US for medical treatment starting June 20, with no public engagements planned. His last visit to the US was in 2017. The spiritual leader, who fled Tibet in 1959 and has lived in India since, advocates for greater autonomy for Tibet through his "middle-way approach."

 

In anticipation of the visit, Senator Ben Cardin highlighted the recent passing of the 'Resolve Tibet Act,' reaffirming US commitment to Tibet amidst tensions with China.

 

The Dalai Lama, born in 1935 in Tibet, has met with numerous US Presidents and global leaders, advocating for peace and religious freedom. His upcoming visit to the US holds potential for further dialogue on Tibetan autonomy and US-China relations.