Penpa Tsering, the President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, commented on President Biden’s recent signing of the ‘Resolve Tibet Bill,’ stating that the move has clearly struck a nerve with China.
Last week, US President Joe Biden signed the ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, which states that China’s ongoing occupation of Tibet must be resolved per international law peacefully and not through repression.
In an interview with ANI, Tsering highlighted the intense reaction from the Chinese government, which has condemned the bill as an interference in their domestic affairs.
“The very fact that they came here to deliver the bill to His Holiness and then President Biden signing it, even before he signed, they said, please don’t sign the form. Now, after signing, they are saying, don’t implement the bill; otherwise, it will have consequences,” Tsering said, adding, “So, in that sense, we know that it has worked and China has for it.”
Expressing a confident stance on the impact of the newly signed ‘Resolve Tibet Bill’ and highlighting that the bill has significantly unsettled the Chinese government. Tsering remarked that the strong Chinese reaction underscores the bill’s effectiveness in challenging Beijing’s narrative on Tibet.
Reflecting on the strategic approach adopted by his administration since May 2021, Tsering explained, “This is part of the strategy that we adopted since we came into this job in May 2021. The first time I managed to travel to the United States was in April 2022, because the pandemic was going on. And at that time, we did inform our friends in Congress, particularly Speaker Nancy Pelosi at that time, that this is our change in strategy, that we need to focus on the extremes.”
He elaborated on this strategy, saying, “When we talk about the middle way, then there has to be extremes. Without extremes, there is no middle way. And if you have no recognition for the extremes, then there is no value for the middle way. So extreme could be in many dimensions. It could be political, social, economic, educational, whatever.”
Tsering highlighted the bill’s role in countering China’s historical claims over Tibet. He asserted, “One is to send a message to China that they cannot just change history. History is in the past. And it’s best left to historians.” He criticised the Chinese government’s shifting historical narratives, saying, “China thinks Tibet is already resolved, that they have managed to convince the world that Tibet is part of the PRC. And that is being challenged for the first time.”
He further elaborated on the bill’s impact, “The law does not say we recognise independence, but it challenges China’s narratives that they have not accepted that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.”
Regarding future diplomatic strategies, Tsering expressed a commitment to international advocacy, stating, “Definitely, definitely. Now we would expect the United States to lend a shoulder to work with like-minded countries, because that is something about which the United States has always been talking, and we can reach out only to the free world.”
He also addressed the role of India in this context, saying, “I have always said that no country will leave aside their national interests and pick up India’s national interests. So as long as that nation’s security interests and other interests align with Tibetan interests, and Tibet and India, we have age-old relations.”
On the subject of back-channel talks with China, Tsering was sceptical, noting, “No, I have admitted to having back channels, but then it’s nothing important to talk about. There’s nothing significant to talk about. It doesn’t look very likely that there would be any positive outcome.”
Regarding the Dalai Lama’s health and return to Dharamshala, Tsering said, “The dates are not fixed because it will all depend on how well His Holiness recovers and what other engagements might appear.”
(with inputs from ANI)
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