A five-member US congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast met the 14th Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeodganj near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, with Mast saying China’s campaign of repression extends beyond its borders and poses a threat to Tibetans living across the world.
Mast also expressed firm support for the Tibetan cause and said the delegation had a lengthy discussion with the Tibetan spiritual leader on a range of issues.
“Certainly, China was among the top issues, the freedom of the people of Tibet, his representation of freedom across the globe, just as we believe that the United States of America is a representation of freedom across the globe,” Mast told the media after the meeting.
“There will probably be a response from China to our visit here. Just our presence, being here with the Dalai Lama, is something they despise. In my opinion, they despise the existence of His Holiness. They will do anything to suppress Tibetan people; they have made that very evident,” he said.
Besides Mast, the US delegation included Representatives James Gallagher, Jimmy Patronis, Haley Stevens and Shri Thanedar. Five of the 10 members of the delegation had arrived for the visit.
Mast said the US and China represented fundamentally different approaches, with the US believing in freedom, democracy and inalienable rights.
He alleged that China’s transnational repression was “far-reaching” and that Beijing used surveillance, spies and police in different countries to monitor and suppress people.
“They will reach anywhere that they can. They have proven that,” he said, adding that the threats also included alleged intellectual property theft and other activities beyond China’s borders.
Mast also expressed concern over China’s reported attempts to influence the Dalai Lama’s succession, saying Beijing could seek to nominate its own candidate.
“This is not new. China has previously abducted those who have been named by His Holiness, never to be seen again,” he said.
Mast alleged that China could pursue its own nomination for the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation and said this would be contrary to the path the Tibetan spiritual leader would choose.
“It is not surprising in any kind of way because there’s no measure that I believe China wouldn’t go to reach their aim of suppressing the people of Tibet,” he said.
“And if that means abducting somebody, they will do it. If that means abducting a whole family, they will do it. If that means naming their own lama, they will do it. There is nothing that they won’t do in pursuit of their aim,” he added.
The delegation’s visit comes shortly after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s state visit to the United States.
Asked about the summit, Mast said the Dalai Lama also believed it was important for leaders to meet across the globe.
“His Holiness believed that it was important that President Trump meet with Xi Jinping. They are two leaders of the world’s biggest and strongest countries. So yes, it’s very important and it should happen,” Mast said.
He added that such a meeting did not take away from the belief that China should not repress its people, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, but should instead embrace and support freedom across the globe.
On the bipartisan Assuring the Future of Tibet Act introduced in the House of Representatives, Mast said the delegation remained hopeful of further legislation supporting Tibetans.
Asked about the recent self-immolation of a Tibetan in the US, Mast said Tibetans had demonstrated their commitment to freedom in different ways.
Gallagher said the House of Representatives wanted to continue dialogue and stand for freedom.
“Our first president, George Washington, talked about keeping the sacred fire of liberty burning. That is what this is about today. We meet with His Holiness, who has been keeping the sacred fire of liberty burning here and for the Tibetan people. So we are united in that effort,” he said.
Stevens echoed the sentiment and said the US would not forget the story of the Tibetans.
The visit follows a similar mission in June 2024, when a bipartisan US House delegation including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and then-House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul visited McLeodganj to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.