Tibetan exile leader laments absence of rights in Trump China dealings

[TIBET EXILE LEADER CRITICIZES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S LACK OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOCUS IN CHINA DEAL]

WASHINGTON: The head of Tibet’s government‑in‑exile expressed disappointment that human‑rights concerns were largely absent from President Donald Trump’s diplomatic approach to China, warning that an over‑emphasis on trade and commerce could embolden Beijing.

Penpa Tsering said, in a Wednesday night interview, that U.S. support for Tibet remained broadly stable under the Trump administration, yet Tibet was not featured on the presidential agenda as Washington prioritises trade, security and other issues with China.

He remarked, “Trump has never mentioned Tibet, nor has he raised human‑rights issues,” during his visit to Washington.

China claimed it seized control of Tibet in 1950, describing the move as a “peaceful liberation” from feudal serfdom.

International human‑rights groups and exiles have routinely condemned China’s oppressive rule in the Tibetan region, a view the Beijing government rejects.

Tsering noted that the United States remained the Tibetan exile movement’s principal international partner, with the movement holding strong bipartisan support in Congress.

He added that the Central Tibetan Administration continued to maintain engagement with the State Department, and pointed out that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been a long‑time advocate for Tibet‑related legislation during his Senate tenure.

Although State Department foreign aid to Tibet was cut in half last year, Tsering voiced optimism that full funding would be restored later this year and highlighted that the current administration had appointed a special coordinator for Tibetan affairs in its second year, up from the fourth year of Trump’s first term.

Tsering said he did not anticipate Tibet being included in President Trump’s scheduled meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at next week’s APEC summit or at the G20 summit in Florida next month, suggesting that remaining on the sidelines might be preferable to becoming a bargaining chip in broader U.S.–China talks.

“Perhaps sometimes it is better that way,” he said. “Instead of becoming a bargaining chip—China is adept at creating leverage.”

However, he stated that Western governments had become overly preoccupied with trade and economic ties with China while downplaying human‑rights concerns, thereby reinforcing Beijing’s influence.

“Knowing that the dragon is biting at you, if you continue to feed them, whose fault is it?” he replied.

“We should prioritize balancing trade with human rights and other concerns—an issue seldom addressed today, even among those who criticize America’s democratic backsliding and align themselves with China.”

He highlighted China’s “ethnic unity and progress” policies, arguing that they were designed to erode Tibetan identity, language, religion and culture.

Tsering noted that Chinese officials were growing more transparent about assimilation policies and faced limited international opposition.

The Chinese government does not recognize the exile administration and defines its control over Tibet as fostering development in a formerly backward and feudal society.

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