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| Enacted by | the116th United States Congress |
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| Legislative history | |
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TheTibetan Policy and Support Act is a federal law that outlines United States policy onTibet.
On January 28, 2020, the bill passed theUS House of Representatives by a vote of 392–22.[1][2][3][4]
On December 21, 2020, the bill was approved by the U.S. Congress as an amendment to theConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.[5]
On December 27, 2020, the bill was signed into law.[6][7]
The Tibetan Policy and Support Act would make it official United States policy that the succession of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the succession of theDalai Lama, be left solely to Tibetan Buddhists to decide, without interference from the Chinese government. Chinese officials that interfere in the process of selecting Tibetan Buddhist leaders would be subject to sanctions under theGlobal Magnitsky Act, including denial of entry into the United States. The bill also calls for the creation of a new US consulate inLhasa, the capital of theTibet Autonomous Region.[4]
TheUnited States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commended the US House of Representatives for passing the act, which the USCIRF had previously endorsed.[3]
Jim McGovern, Chair of theTom Lantos Human Rights Commission and theCongressional-Executive Commission on China commented, "We are criticizing theChinese Communist Party (CCP) and not the Chinese people, who are also suffering under China’s repression,... We stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people and revere His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We all are in this together and we expect the President to sign the Tibet Policy and Support Act into law soon."[8]
Lobsang Sangay, Sisur (Former President) of theTibetan government-in-exile and graduate of theHarvard Law School, thanked the Government of the United States and the US House for passing The Tibetan Policy and Support Act.[9]
Hua Chunying,China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that the act severely violates the basic norms governing international relations and was the latest attempt to interfere in China's domestic affairs.[10]