US Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi voiced support for Dalai Lama during China visit

Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, enjoys strong support in the United States, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told Chinese officials during a visit last week to the Himalayan region, while expressing concern about human rights there.

Pelosi, a long-time critic of Beijing’s human rights record, was leading a senior US Congressional delegation on a rare visit to Tibet, which the central government has ruled with an iron fist since 1950, when it was “peacefully liberated” by communist forces.

The delegation met senior government officials, including Tibet’s Communist Party boss Chen Quanguo, Pelosi said in a statement.

“The delegation reiterated the imperative of respect for religious freedom and expression in Tibet,” she added.

“We also conveyed to the Chinese government officials the strong, bipartisan support the Dalai Lama enjoys in the Congress of the United States and among the American people.”

The delegation, the first Congressional one that Chinese authorities have allowed to enter the region since widespread unrest in 2008, also expressed concern over the recent arrests and detentions of human rights lawyers and activists on the mainland.