DHARAMSALA, June 19: A group of influential U.S. lawmakers met with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at his home in the Himalayas on June 19, despite warnings from China to avoid contact with the Buddhist monk, whom it labels a separatist.
The bipartisan group of seven lawmakers met the 88-year-old Nobel Peace laureate at his monastery in the northern town of Dharamsala. The delegation, led by Michael McCaul, a Republican representative from Texas and chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, includes former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They arrived to a warm reception from school children, Buddhist monks, and nuns.
The discussions with the Dalai Lama are expected to include a U.S. bill aimed at pressing China to resolve the Tibet dispute. This bill is awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature, McCaul said on Tuesday.
Beijing, which views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous “splittist” or separatist, expressed serious concern over the visit and the pending bill. It urged the lawmakers to avoid contact with what it calls the “Dalai clique” and called on Biden not to sign the bill.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. Chinese officials are consistently irked by his interactions with foreign officials.
While the Dalai Lama has met with U.S. officials, including presidents, during previous visits to the United States, Biden has not met him since taking office in 2021. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to travel to the U.S. this week for medical treatment, but it is unclear if he will have any official engagements during his visit.
