Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India on Wednesday morning in a move that angered China.
The 84-year-old former speaker of the House of Representatives greeted the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader by rubbing her head with his and attacked Chinese President Xi Jinping after a warning from the Communist Party not to attend.
The Democrat’s greeting came a few days after Joe Biden made a similar gesture with Pope Francis, who seemed very bewildered.
Beijing considers the 88-year-old Dalai Lama a separatist, cut off all communication with his representatives in 2010 and does not recognize the Tibetan administration.
‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will live long and his legacy will live forever. But you, the president of China, will be gone and no one will give you credit for anything,” he said.
Pelosi admitted that the Nobel Peace Prize winner would not have approved of her comments criticizing China’s communist leader.
“When I criticize the Chinese government, he says, let us pray that Nancy is freed from its negative attitudes,” he added.
Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India on Wednesday morning in a move that angered China.
Pelosi was part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that visited the hillside town where the Dalai Lama has made his headquarters since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
There, the group that included top Republican Rep. Michael McCaul met with officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile, which wants more autonomy for Tibet.
Beijing does not recognize the administration and has not held any dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives since 2010.
After meeting with the spiritual leader on Wednesday, the seven American lawmakers addressed hundreds of people who had gathered at a monastery just outside the Dalai Lama’s residence, waving American and Tibetan flags.
They told the crowd that a key goal of their visit was to highlight the Tibet Resolving Act, passed by the U.S. Congress last week, and aims to foster dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials in hopes to find a peaceful resolution between Tibet and Beijing.
The bill should now be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law.
Pelosi said the bill is “a message to the Chinese government that we have clarity in our thinking and understanding of this issue of Tibet freedom,” prompting applause.
‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with his message of knowledge, tradition, compassion, purity of soul and love, will live long and his legacy will live forever. But you, the president of China, will leave and no one will give you credit for anything,” he said.
The 84-year-old former Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives held talks with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader and attacked Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Pelosi was part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that visited the hillside town where the Dalai Lama has made his headquarters since he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
Top Republican Rep. Michael McCaul also met with the Nobel Peace Prize winner and said the Chinese Communist Party had warned lawmakers not to visit him.
McCaul, the Republican representative, said it reaffirmed American support for Tibetan right to self-determination. “Just this week our delegation received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party, warning us not to come here… but we did not let the CCP intimidate us because we are here today,” he said as people cheered.
However, the visit and the recently passed bill have prompted a swift reaction from Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Tuesday urged Washington not to support Tibetan independence and said the White House “should not sign the bill” or China will take “resolute measures,” without elaborating on what they could do. be.
“Everyone knows that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure, but a political exile engaged in separatist activities against China under the cloak of religion,” Lin added, urging the US side to “have no contact with the Dalai Lama.” “. group in any form, and stop sending the wrong signal to the world.’
Pelosi admitted that the Nobel Peace Prize winner would not have approved of her comments criticizing China’s communist leader. “When I criticize the Chinese government, he says, let’s pray that Nancy is freed from her negative attitudes,” he added.
Tibetans gather outside the Dalai Lama’s hillside home in Dharamshala, India, for a visit by American lawmakers.
The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and the protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.
The Tibetan spiritual leader has a history of interacting with American officials, including American presidents from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama – except Donald Trump. He has yet to meet with Biden since he took office in 2021.
The Dalai Lama is expected to travel to the United States on Thursday to receive medical treatment for his knees, but it is unclear if he will meet with any officials while there.
Meanwhile, Beijing has repeatedly asked the United States not to interfere in Tibetan affairs and has argued that the people of Tibet They have enjoyed social stability and economic growth under his government.
Although India considers Tibet to be part of China, it hosts Tibetan exiles.
