Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, has made a striking declaration against China’s leader, Xi Jinping. Speaking in Dharamshala, northern India, following an encounter with the Dalai Lama alongside various other US representatives, she boldly predicted the soon-to-come end of Xi Jingping’s reign whilst hailing the enduring legacy of the Dalai Lama.
She professed, with notably powerful words, that the Dalai Lama’s teachings of empathy, knowledge, tradition, spiritual purity, and love will not only provide him with a long life but also ensure his legacy persists eternally. On the contrary, she predicted that the Chinese president will eventually fade into oblivion, unremembered and unappreciated.
Last August, her trip to Taiwan led China to react belligerently, igniting a series of intense military exercises near the independent island and causing a temporary halt in its relations with Washington.
Pelosi, a Democrat, admitted this Wednesday that she is aware that her provocative remarks may infuriate the Chinese government who perceive the Dalai Lama as a figurehead for Tibetan separatism.
In the face of Pelosi’s criticism of the Chinese government, the Dalai Lama expressed a wish for her to release her negative views. Despite this, Pelosi remains hopeful for the future. As echoed by her fellow delegates, she believes that the resilience and optimism of the Tibetan people will instigate the crucial change they need.
China gained control of Tibet, which it refers to as Xizang, in the 1950s, a period that followed many centuries of fluctuating powers between Chinese and local warlords. China makes the argument that Tibet has been a part of its territory throughout its history and credits its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for liberating Tibetans from feudalism. However, China denies accusations alleging its suppression of Tibet’s unique language, culture and religious identity.
The recent visit of a US delegation to Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama has taken refuge in a monastery since 1959, was harshly criticised by Beijing.
China’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, has depicted the 14th Dalai Lama not as a purely religious leader, but as a political fugitive involved in subversive actions against China, masquerading under the mantle of religion. He expressed serious apprehensions over the related reports and urged the United States to acknowledge the anti-China inclination of the Dalai Lama group, live up to the earlier commitments made on matters related to Xizang, abstain from interacting with the Dalai group by any means, and quit transmitting incorrect messages to the globe.
The recent visit by Ms Pelosi comes on the heels of the House of Representative’s passaging a bill aimed to allocate funds to combat what has been termed as ‘misinformation’ propagated by Beijing regarding Tibet’s history and its inhabitants. Yet to be signed into law by President Joe Biden, the Bill urges US officials to push Beijing into negotiations with the Dalai Lama or his proxies about the future of Tibet.
Last week, high-ranking diplomats from the European External Action Service toured Tibet as an element in the EU-China dialogue on human rights. The Chinese authorities permitted their visits to specified schools, religious sites, and a prison, as requested. However, Beijing’s foreign affairs department vehemently disparaged what it named as unwarranted EU meddling in China’s domestic issues on the grounds of human rights.
In retaliation to the EU’s baseless charges concerning China’s judicial process, execution laws, labour rights, and ethnic and regional issues, China came forward with facts proving the contrary and firmly dismissed these accusations, as stated by Lin Jian. He also pointed out existing human rights issues in EU countries, including, but not limited to, racial bias, violation of refugee and immigrant rights, freedom of speech restriction, religious animosity, judicial bias, and violence against women. He called upon the EU to earnestly address these concerns.