Talk to the Dalai Lama, US ambassador urges China on rare trip to Tibet
- Terry Branstad also raises long-standing concerns about the lack of access to the autonomous region
The US ambassador to China urged Beijing to engage in substantive dialogue with exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama during a visit to the Himalayan region over the past week, the US embassy said on Saturday.
Terry Branstad also “expressed concerns regarding the Chinese government’s interference in Tibetan Buddhists’ freedom to organise and practise their religion,” an embassy statement said.
“He encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives, without preconditions, to seek a settlement that resolves differences.”
Branstad also raised long-standing concerns about the lack of consistent access to the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The rare visit to the region and neighbouring Qinghai province ran from Sunday to Saturday.
Hosted by the Tibet autonomous region government, Branstad was given access to important religious and cultural sites, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, and Sera Monastery in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. He also met with senior Tibetan religious and cultural leaders, the embassy said.
China tightly restricts access to Tibet for foreigners, especially journalists and diplomats. In response to those restrictions, the US Congress last year passed an act that would deny entry to the United States for those involved in formulating or enforcing such policies.