New US bill demands China grant consulate in Tibet and stay away from Dalai Lama succession
- Lawmakers would prohibit Beijing from opening any new consulates on American soil until the US is permitted to establish its own diplomatic office in Lhasa
- The bill introduced in the House of Representatives also lays out a path for punishing Chinese officials who interfere with the Dalai Lama’s succession plans
US lawmakers have unveiled new legislation that would prohibit Beijing from opening any new consulates on American soil until the US is permitted to establish its own diplomatic office in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.
The bill, introduced in the House of Representatives by James McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, also lays out a road map for punitive action against Chinese officials who interfere in the Dalai Lama’s succession.
The legislation was introduced on Friday but only made public this week; a companion piece of legislation in the Senate, led by Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, is expected in the coming days.
The law would “strengthen US support for the Tibetan people in their struggle for human rights, religious freedom and genuine autonomy”, McGovern said in a statement on Wednesday.
The bill’s condition that Beijing not be allowed to expand its diplomatic stations in the US until Washington can establish a consulate in Lhasa echoes the tit-for-tat nature of last year’s Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act.
Signed into law in December, that bill prohibited entry to the US of Chinese officials “substantially involved” in the formulation of policies that restricted foreigners’ access to Tibet. The entry ban would continue as long as Tibet access restrictions remained in place.