Dharamsala, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A bipartisan US Congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala on Wednesday, with discussions focusing on Tibet, China and concerns over what Mast described as Beijing’s transnational repression.
The delegation included Representatives James Gallagher, Jimmy Patronis, Haley Stevens and Shri Thanedar. They were accompanied by Tibetan Prime Minister Penpa Tsering and Jigme Tsering of the New Delhi-based office of the Dalai Lama.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mast said China was among the key issues discussed and alleged that Beijing’s efforts to monitor and suppress people extended beyond its borders.
“The threat from China in terms of transnational repression is far-reaching,” Mast said, alleging that China monitors people and sends personnel to other countries to suppress activities it opposes.
“We believe in freedom and democracy for all of our people. These are fundamental differences between what China represents, what America represents, and what the people of Tibet seek,” he added.
Mast also said the Dalai Lama considered a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping important, given their positions as leaders of two of the world’s major powers.
He said the US delegation’s opposition to what it sees as repression of Tibetans, Uyghurs and others in China would not be diminished by engagement between Trump and Xi. The visit comes amid continuing tensions between Washington and Beijing over human rights and China’s policies in Tibet and Xinjiang.
The Dalai Lama, according to Voice of Tibet, told the delegation that Tibetans around the world placed “great hopes” in the lawmakers as they continued to preserve their traditions and struggle.
A senior Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) functionary said the visit demonstrated that the international community continued to pay attention to Tibet and said Chinese policies would face opposition.
China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist and has previously expressed concern over visits by foreign officials to meet him. The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing Tibet in 1959.
The visit followed meetings between the US delegation and Indian officials in New Delhi. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had held discussions with the lawmakers on India-US relations, the recently enacted Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, energy security, counter-terrorism and freedom of navigation.
Meanwhile, three years after the launch of its first vision paper, “Securing Tibet’s Future”, the 17th Kashag of the CTA launched a revised version of the document in Dharamsala.
The revised paper focuses on strengthening coordination between the CTA’s political leadership and bureaucracy to pursue its two stated responsibilities — seeking an early resolution to the Sino-Tibet conflict and promoting the welfare of Tibetans living in exile.
It also aims to strengthen the CTA’s administrative capacity and improve the efficiency of its functioning.
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