The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Resolve Tibet Act – a bill that strengthen US efforts to push the Chinese government to resolve the longstanding Tibet-China dispute through dialogue with Tibetan leaders – today 12 June 2024. It now goes to the White House for President Biden’s signature.
Speaking on the House floor as he raised the bill, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) spoke in support of the Resolve Tibet Act, saying, “the US strongly condemns all oppression and coercion of Tibetans.” An original sponsor of the bill, McCaul added that it will help “put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future.”
“This latest indication of American support of Tibet is a source of hope and encouragement to the Tibetan people, who have been nonviolently struggling against the Chinese government for more than six decades for human rights and democratic freedoms,” International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) President Tencho Gyatso said as voting concluded.
She added: “I thank the main sponsors of the bill – Representative Jim McGovern, Chairman Michael McCaul, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Senator Todd Young – for their leadership. The Resolve Tibet Act is a strong message to China that the Tibet issue has to be resolved through negotiation instead of an assault on Tibet’s unique and ancient civilization.”
Previously passed by the House in February and the Senate in May, the Resolve Tibet Act emerged from the two legislative bodies with minor wording differences that necessitated a return to the House floor. It passed again today with 391 votes in favor.
To the president’s desk
The next and final step is for President Biden to sign the bill. This should happen within the next two weeks, turning the Resolve Tibet Act into law.
The Resolve Tibet Act will strengthen US efforts to push the Chinese government to resolve the longstanding Tibet-China dispute through dialogue with Tibetan leaders and arm the State Department’s Special Coordinator for Tibet office with more tools to combat the CCP’s disinformation on Tibet.
What the bill does
The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act states that it is US policy that the dispute between Tibet and China remains unresolved in accordance with international law.
The legislation also:
- Empowers the Special Coordinator for Tibet to actively and directly counter disinformation about Tibet from the Chinese government and Communist Party, including working to ensure that US government statements and documents counter disinformation about Tibet.
- Rejects as “inaccurate” China’s false claims that Tibet has been part of China since “ancient times.”
- Promotes substantive dialogue without preconditions between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or the democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community. The US could also explore activities to improve prospects for dialogue leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet.
- Affirms the State Department ‘s responsibility to coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts toward the goal of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.
- Encourages China’s government to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people regarding their distinct historical, cultural, religious and linguistic identity.