Biden vows to meet Dalai Lama and sanction China over Tibet if voted to power

In light of China's recent plan to furr tighten grip over Tibet, US Democrat Presidential minee Joe Biden has said that he will arrange a meeting with Dalai Lama and his administration will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, if he is voted to power to become  next US president. He said he will press China to resume talks with Tibetans for region's automy. 

“I’ll work with our allies in pressing Beijing to return to direct dialogue with representatives of Tibetan people to achieve meaningful automy, respect for human rights, and preservation of Tibet’s environment as well as its unique cultural, linguistic and religious traditions,” Biden said.

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“As President, I’ll put values back at centre of American foreign policy. I’ll meet with His Holiness Dalai Lama; appoint a new Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues,” he said in a statement.

"My administration will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, and step up support for Tibetan people, including by expanding Tibetan langu services at Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to get information from outside world into Tibet," he said.

Biden targets Trump

Biden also slammed incumbent US President Donald Trump over his silence over decades-old issue of Tibet. Biden accused Trump of focussing more on trade deal with China and his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping instead of issue of Tibet. This statement by Biden is surprising as Trump administration has been lambasting China over several issues ranging from deadly Coronavirus pandemic, China's aggression in South China Sea and its faceoff with Indian Army in Ladakh, to  human rights violations of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and imposition of draconian national security law in Hong Kong. Trump has repeatedly blamed Jinping's administration for t restricting spread of Coronavirus from spreading across world but controlling it from spreading in rest of China.

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Biden criticised Trump for t meeting Dalai Lama and discontinuing practice followed by American presidents for  past three decades. 

“It’s disgraceful, though t surprising, that Trump is first American president in three decades who has t met or spoken with His Holiness Dalai Lama”.

Biden's statements come in wake of China's plan to convert Tibet into a more socialist and China loving region by imposing socialist ideology in Tibetan schools. Earlier US had imposed travel bans on Chinese officials after claiming that y are restricting foreigners’ access to Tibet.  In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian indicated that US government should step back from ‘internal’ affairs with Tibet-related issues in a bid to avoid furr dam to already spiralling relations between both nations.