US Ambassador to China Conducts Rare Visit to Tibet United States Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, conducts a rare visit to Tibet for a week starting Sunday (5/19). (AFP Photo / Nicholas Asfouri)

US Ambassador for China's Rare Visit to Tibet : Full of Prejudice

Estella Claudia
Politics & Economic
International
May 22, 2019
1430

Tibet, China - The US Embassy Office in China said for a week, United States Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, conducted a rare visit to Qinghai Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, starting on Sunday (5/19). He is also scheduled to hold official meetings, religious tours, visits to several schools and other Tibetan cultural heritage sites.

It is reported that Branstad's visit exactly two months after the US State Department stated that Beijing had "systematically" hampered the access of diplomats, journalists and US tourists into Tibetan territory.

The US embassy spokesman stated that, this visit is an opportunity for the Ambassador to call on local leaders to pay attention to restrictions on religious freedom and the preservation of Tibetan culture and language. The embassy also welcomed this opportunity to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region, and invited the authorities to provide access to its territory for all US citizens to visit Tibet easier.

However, according to the US Foreign Ministry report, about five of the nine requests for a US visit to Tibet were rejected last year, including from Branstad. China rejected US reports because it was "full of prejudice." According to them, restrictions on access to the Himalayan region by Tibetan authorities are also due to geographical reasons and climate conditions.

This access was finally given ahead of the 60th anniversary of the failure of Tibetan rebels against China which made the Dalai Lama permanently exiled to India. The US citizens can finally enter Tibet easier and vice versa.

USAmbassador , China , Tibet