Tibet

Floor Speech

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Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I believe that the U.S. must remain committed to defending human rights and personal freedoms both within the U.S. and abroad. As our country continues to advance U.S.-China relations, we must never forget the people of Tibet. Restrictions on human rights and religious freedom in Tibet have been a growing concern to many. As a member of the Congressional Executive Committee on China, I share this concern. While Chinese investments have undoubtedly helped to modernize Tibet, these investments must not come at the expense of the rich cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage of the Tibetan people. We must continue to support the protection of traditional Tibetan culture.

As you may know, I had the opportunity to be one of the first groups of Americans to travel to China and teach Chinese high school students in 1989. During that trip, I also traveled to Tibet in 1990 and, most recently, I have returned as a member of the Congressional Delegation visiting China and Tibet. The boosted economic growth, higher household incomes, and constructed railway projects have facilitated the rapid modernization of the Tibet Autonomous Region. However, we need to continue to have constructive dialogues with China to ensure the preservation of traditional Tibetan culture and Tibet's fragile ecology.

The Congressional Delegation trip to Tibet provided an opportunity to have a healthy dialogue, and I want to thank our Chinese friends for engaging with us in a discussion over the most sensitive issues concerning Tibet. As a southern Minnesotan, I understand the importance of spurring economic growth while simultaneously protecting natural wonders and culture. With this in mind, I believe that Tibetans must receive the necessary rights that will allow them to protect their culture, language, religion, and environment.

The U.S. was founded on the ideas of universal freedom, and I believe that we must continue to urge the Chinese government to provide less regulated religious freedom to the Tibetans. I strongly believe that a critical step to achieving religious freedom in Tibet is including the Dalai Lama in future dialogues. I have had the pleasure of meeting His Holiness on three occasions, and I share his desire to preserve Tibetan culture and resolve other issues concerning Tibet. Lastly, I encourage the Chinese government to agree to establish a U.S. Consulate in the Tibetan city of Lhasa because I believe diplomacy and talking through our concerns and partnerships under the lens of transparency can only strengthen the relationship between our two countries.

I will continue to support attempts to have productive dialogues with the Chinese government concerning the future of Tibet. Improvements in the quality of life, access to clean water, and access to health care services in Tibet must also include efforts to preserve the Tibetan way of life.

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