US House delegation, including Nancy Pelosi, Michael McCaul in Dharamshala for talks with Dalai Lama

To meet with the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives which includes Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul arrived in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday (June 18).

On Wednesday (June 19), the seven members of the US House delegation will meet with Indian government officials and members of the American business sector in India in addition to meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Chairman McCaul, Pelosi, Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ranking Member Jim McGovern of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Member Ami Bera of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Nicole Malliotakis are the members of the delegation that reached Dharamshala.

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The visit comes nearly a week after the United States House of Representatives approved a procedural vote on the Resolve Tibet Act. The US House of Representatives enacted the Resolve Tibet Act in February 2023, and the Senate approved it in May of this year.

To address long-standing tensions between Tibet and Beijing, the Bill calls for China to engage in unconditional negotiations with the Dalai Lama, or his representative, or democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan population.

“I want to say greetings to the great people in Dharamshala. We are very excited to see His Holiness tomorrow to talk about many things including the bill (Resolve Tibet Act) we just passed out of Congress that says the United States of America stands with the people of Tibet,” McCaul told local media at the airport.

The Bill urges China to negotiate without preconditions with the Dalai Lama, his representative, or democratically-elected leaders of the Tibetan community to resolve long-pending issues between Tibet and Beijing.

China's response

China reacted to US lawmakers visiting Dharamshala with expected fury. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, "It’s known by all that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion.

"We are gravely concerned over the relevant reports and urge the US side to fully recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group, honour the commitments the US has made to China on issues related to Xizang, have no contact with the Dalai group in any form, and stop sending the wrong signal to the world," he added.

Following a failed rebellion against Chinese control, the Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959 and has since resided in India.

(With inputs from agencies)