A powerful group of U.S. lawmakers, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, is visiting India to strengthen ties and meet the Dalai Lama. The delegation includes former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other prominent members like Gregory W. Meeks, Jim McGovern, Ami Bera, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Nicole Malliotakis. They plan to meet with the Dalai Lama, Indian government officials, and representatives of American businesses.
McCaul stated that India is the world’s largest democracy and a key partner for the United States. He looks forward to discussing how to deepen the relationship with India and is honored to meet the Dalai Lama. McCaul emphasized that Tibetans love democracy and want to practice their religion freely. This visit aims to show the U.S. Congress’s bipartisan support for Tibet’s right to determine its future.
Meeks also highlighted the strong bipartisan support for the U.S.-India relationship. Over the past 25 years, the relationship has become one of the most significant in the United States. He looks forward to meeting the Dalai Lama and hearing his views on how the American people can support the Tibetan struggle for autonomy.
The U.S. statement did not specify the dates of the visit, but sources in New Delhi mentioned that the delegation would be in Dharamsala on June 18-19. This visit comes just before the Dalai Lama’s planned trip to the U.S. for medical treatment. Dharamsala is home to Tibet’s government-in-exile, representing over 100,000 Tibetans in around 30 countries. The U.S. has been a strong supporter of the Tibetan cause, condemning China’s oppression of Tibetans.
Recently, the U.S. Congress passed the “Resolve Tibet Act,” calling for a peaceful resolution to the Tibet-China dispute and urging Beijing to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama. American lawmakers frequently visit Dharamsala to show their support for the Tibetan cause.
From 2002 to 2010, representatives of the Dalai Lama held nine rounds of talks with the Chinese government, but these did not lead to any significant outcomes. No formal talks have been held since then. The Tibetan side has sought genuine autonomy within China, following the Dalai Lama’s middle-way policy, which seeks a solution through dialogue.
In April, Penpa Tsering, the political head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, mentioned opening back-channel talks with Beijing to find a resolution to the Tibet issue. This indicated a willingness on both sides to re-engage after over a decade of no formal dialogue. However, China responded that it would only talk with the Dalai Lama’s representatives, not with the government-in-exile.
After a failed uprising against China in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and established the government-in-exile in India. China has accused him of separatist activities, but he insists he seeks only genuine autonomy for Tibetans under the middle-way approach.
Relations between Tibetans and China worsened after protests in 2008. McCaul was one of the lawmakers who introduced the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act,” also known as the Resolve Tibet Act. The act, passed by the House of Representatives, rejects China’s historical claims over Tibet and urges Beijing to stop spreading disinformation about Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama.
The delegation’s visit would not have occurred without approval from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, especially given the ongoing India-China military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has strained bilateral relations. The visit coincides with a trip to New Delhi by U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who will discuss critical and emerging technologies with Indian officials.
Pelosi, a long-time supporter of the Tibetan cause, has previously visited Dharamsala to meet the Dalai Lama and other leaders. The delegation’s visit, coming soon after the passage of the Resolve Tibet Act, sends a strong message that the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) are the true representatives of the Tibetan people. This stance is likely to anger China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and opposes any foreign political engagement with him.
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