Promoting A Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 533) to amend the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to modify certain provisions of that Act, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 533

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) It has been the long-standing policy of the United States to encourage meaningful and direct dialogue between representatives of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama, his or her representatives, or democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community, without preconditions, to seek a settlement that resolves differences.

(2) Nine rounds of dialogue held between 2002 and 2010 between the People's Republic of China authorities and the 14th Dalai Lama's representatives failed to produce a settlement that resolved differences, and the two sides have held no formal dialogue since January 2010.

(3) An obstacle to further dialogue is that the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to impose conditions on substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama, including a demand that he say that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times, which the Dalai Lama has refused to do because it is inaccurate.

(4) Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provide that ``All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.''.

(5) The United States Government has never taken the position that Tibet was a part of China since ancient times.

(6) China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on October 5, 1998, and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on March 27, 2001.

(7) Under international law, including United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625, the right to self- determination is the right of a people to determine its own destiny and the exercise of this right can result in a variety of outcomes ranging from independence, federation, protection, some form of autonomy or full integration within a State.

(8) United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1723, adopted on December 20, 1961, called for the ``cessation of practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination.''.

(9) Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a May 26, 2022, speech entitled ``The Administration's Approach to the People's Republic of China,'' said that the rules-based international order's ``founding documents include the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrined concepts like self-determination, sovereignty, the peaceful settlement of disputes. These are not Western constructs. They are reflections of the world's shared aspirations.''.

(10) The Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, in directing the United States Government ``to promote the human rights and distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity of the Tibetan people'' acknowledges that the Tibetan people possess a distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity.

(11) Department of State reports on human rights and religious freedom have consistently documented systematic repression by the authorities of the People's Republic of China against Tibetans as well as acts of defiance and resistance by Tibetan people against the People's Republic of China policies.

(12) The Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, specifies that the central objective of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is to promote substantive dialogue between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama, his or her representatives, or democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community. SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States--

(1) that the Tibetan people are a people with a distinct religious, cultural, linguistic and historical identity;

(2) that the dispute between Tibet and the People's Republic of China must be resolved in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter, by peaceful means, through dialogue without preconditions;

(3) that the People's Republic of China should cease its propagation of disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions, including that of the Dalai Lama;

(4) to encourage the People's Republic of China to uphold all its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; and

(5) in accordance with the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020--

(A) to promote substantive dialogue without pre-conditions, between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama, his or her representatives, or democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community, or explore activities to improve prospects for dialogue, that leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet;

(B) to coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts towards the goal of a negotiated agreement on Tibet; and

(C) to encourage the Government of the People's Republic of China to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people with regard to their distinct historical, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity. SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) claims made by officials of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party that Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times are historically inaccurate;

(2) the current policies of the People's Republic of China are systematically suppressing the ability of the Tibetan people to preserve their religion, culture, language, history, way of life and environment;

(3) the Government of the People's Republic of China is failing to meet the expectations of the United States to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives or to reach a negotiated resolution that includes the aspirations of the Tibetan people; and

(4) United States public diplomacy efforts should counter disinformation about Tibet from the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions including that of the Dalai Lama. SEC. 5. MODIFICATIONS TO THE TIBETAN POLICY ACT OF 2002.

(a) Tibet Negotiations.--Section 613(b) of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

``(4) efforts to counter disinformation about Tibet from the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions including that of the Dalai Lama.''.

(b) United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.-- Section 621(d) of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (7), (8), and (9), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

``(6) work with relevant bureaus of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development to ensure that United States Government statements and documents counter, as appropriate, disinformation about Tibet from the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions including that of the Dalai Lama;''.

(c) Definition.--The Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 622. DEFINITION.

``For purposes of this Act, the term `Tibet' refers to the following areas:

``(1) The Tibet Autonomous Region.

``(2) The areas that the Government of the People's Republic of China designated as Tibetan Autonomous, as of 2018, as follows:

``(A) Kanlho (Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Pari (Tianzhu) Tibetan Autonomous County located in Gansu Province.

``(B) Golog (Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Malho (Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsojang (Haibei) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsolho (Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsonub (Haixi) Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Yulshul (Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, located in Qinghai Province.

``(C) Garze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, and Muli (Mili) Tibetan Autonomous County, located in Sichuan Province.

``(D) Dechen (Diqing) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, located in Yunnan Province.''. SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS TO COUNTER DISINFORMATION ABOUT TIBET.

Amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available under section 346 of subtitle E of title III of division FF of Public Law 116-260 (``Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020'') are authorized to be made available to counter disinformation about Tibet from the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about the history of Tibet, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions including that of the Dalai Lama.
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Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 533, Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan people have suffered 70 years of Chinese Communist Party oppression and control. From forced labor, forced sterilization, arbitrary detention, the banning of Tibetan education, religious practices, and language, the CCP will not stop until it has erased Tibetan culture.

Last year, the CCP released a white paper on its policies in Tibet. In that document, the party doubles down on its oppression and crackdown on the religious and economic freedom of Tibetans.

That is why I am a proud cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Mr. McCaul).

The CCP has refused to speak with the Tibetan Central Authorities since 2010, essentially putting the future of Tibet, and the safety of millions of Tibetans, at suspended risk.

This bill helps Tibetans in two main ways:

First, it pushes back against CCP propaganda about the history of Tibet. It is simply not true that Tibet has been, as the CCP claims, a ``part of China since ancient times.'' U.S. policy has never accepted that false claim.

For that reason, this legislation clarifies U.S. policy, highlights the unique language, religion, and culture of the Tibetan people, and directs U.S. diplomats to push back against CCP propaganda.

Second, this bill ensures that Tibetans have a say in their own future. It stresses the need for a direct dialogue between the CCP and the democratically elected leaders of Tibet, and that any resolution must be peaceful and include the voice of the Tibetan people.

Tibetans are democracy-loving people who wish to freely practice their religion and have their distinct identity acknowledged and respected.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to play a small part in supporting this dream for the Tibetan people. I urge all my colleagues to help push back against the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown against the Tibetan people by voting in favor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 533, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I speak in strong support of H.R. 533, which would amend the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002.

This bill was introduced by Congressman Jim McGovern, House ranking member on the Congressional Executive Commission on China, which I chair, along with Chairman McCaul. I am proud to be listed among the many cosponsors.

Tibet and the Tibetan people face new and ever worsening challenges from the Chinese Communist Party's repressive rule. After decades of unspeakable cruelty by the Chinese Communist Party against Tibetans, we are seeing an increase that is occurring and an effort that looks just like genocide.

Threats to Tibetan linguistic, religious, and cultural heritage have expanded exponentially in recent years, and now an estimated 80 percent of all children in the Tibet Autonomous Region are separated from their families and educated in a massive system of colonial boarding schools--separating them from parents and indoctrinating and brainwashing them each and every day.

In recent years, Chinese police in Tibet have conducted mass DNA collection and iris scanning programs in wide swaths of Tibetan society, including in monasteries and primary schools, a sinister endeavor to harvest biometric data and one which implicated an American company, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

While, thanks to pressure from many, including our commission, Thermo Fisher has announced it will cease cooperation in this area, though they still do business in China that is problematic. We need to drive home the message to American businesses: Stop cooperating with a brutal regime and stop subsidizing tyranny.

Amid these threats to Tibetans in Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party also seeks to extend its repressive reach abroad, targeting for surveillance and harassment Tibetan diaspora communities in the United States, India, and Nepal.

The Chinese Communist Party has long engaged in crimes against humanity in Tibet and against Tibetans, plain and simple. I have chaired multiple hearings with my good friend and colleague, Mr. McGovern, at the Lantos Commission and at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, including one in March of last year, called ``Preserving Tibet: Combating Cultural Erasure, Forced Assimilation and Transnational Repression,'' which featured the Sikyong, the head of Tibet's government in exile, as well as Richard Gere, who is a passionate and amazingly articulate advocate for Tibet.

This bill authorizes the State Department to take action to counter Chinese Communist propaganda directed against Tibet and its history and its institutions. For that reason alone, it ought to be strongly supported.

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Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I again thank Mr. McGovern, Chairman McCaul, and Ranking Member Meeks for introducing this legislation. I urge the passage of H.R. 533, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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