10 April 2008
US House of Representatives criticises China on Tibet
(AP) The House of Representatives in Washington has criticised China for its "disproportionate and extreme" response to protests in Tibet, and urged Beijing to hold direct, unconditional talks with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet. The House resolution, sponsored by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called on China to end its crackdown on non-violent protests in Tibet, release Tibetans imprisoned in peaceful demonstrations, and allow international monitors and journalists unfettered access to the TAR and other Tibetan areas of China. It passed 413 to 1. In the Senate, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., introduced a similar resolution. Like the House measure, it states that the opening of further Chinese diplomatic missions in the United States should be contingent on Beijing allowing the US to establish an office in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.