Washington on Monday named US Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya as special coordinator for Tibet, drawing warnings from China to stay out of its internal affairs.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Zeya would lead US efforts to preserve the Chinese-ruled territory’s religious, cultural and linguistic heritage in the face of human rights abuses by Beijing.
Beijing has consistently refused to deal with a US coordinator on Tibet and denounced the move as political manipulation.
Photo: AFP
“By naming a special coordinator for Tibetan issues, the US is interfering with China’s domestic affairs,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) told reporters in Beijing. “China firmly rejects this and we will never recognize this designation. We urge the US to take concrete actions to abide by its commitment of recognizing Tibet as part of China and not supporting Tibet’s independence, and stop using Tibetan-related issues to interfere in China’s domestic affairs.”
Blinken said Zeya would seek to promote dialogue between China and Tibet’s spiritual leader-in-exile, the Dalai Lama, or democratically elected Tibetan leaders.
“She will lead US efforts to preserve the religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage of Tibetans who are facing human rights abuses and challenges to their livelihoods and environment,” Blinken wrote on Twitter.
China last year reacted angrily and accused the US of seeking to destabilize Tibet after the administration of former US president Donald Trump appointed Zeya’s predecessor to the same role.
US-China relations have been at their lowest point in decades over a range of issues, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, the South China Sea, COVID-19 and trade.
China seized control of Tibet after its troops entered the region in 1950 in what it calls a “peaceful liberation.”
Tibet has since become one of the most restricted areas in the nation. Critics say Beijing’s rule amounts to “cultural genocide.”
The International Campaign for Tibet advocacy group welcomed Zeya’s new role and in an e-mailed statement interim president Bhuchung Tsering urged Zeya to take the lead in gathering support from like-minded nations to formulate a common approach on Tibet, as mandated by the Tibetan Policy and Support Act passed by the US Congress last year.
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