Beijing lashed out Thursday at Washington’s appointment of
an envoy to oversee human rights issues in Tibet, saying the US wanted to
destroy the region’s stability.

“The US side should stop using the Tibet issue to
interfere in China’s internal affairs and destroy Tibet’s development and
stability,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a routine
briefing.

The US State Department on Wednesday named top human rights
official Robert Destro as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.

Bilateral ties between the US and China have sharply
deteriorated over Washington’s frequent criticisms of Beijing’s human rights
record on issues including Xinjiang and Tibet, where ethnic minorities allege
harsh government repression.

Zhao insisted that ethnic minorities in Tibet enjoy
“full freedom of religious belief”, and accused the US of
“political manipulation”.

The remote, mountainous region bordering India, Nepal and
Bhutan is one of the poorest in China, but awash with security, and access
heavily restricted for foreigners including journalists.

At a Thursday press briefing in the Tibetan capital of
Lhasa, regional chairman Che Dalha said China had “never restricted
foreigners’ entry into Tibet”.

This year, China celebrates the 70th anniversary of what it
calls the peaceful liberation of Tibet, when People’s Liberation Army troops
invaded and occupied the region, subjugating the mostly ethnic Tibetan
residents in a campaign that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Rights groups and Tibetan diaspora activists say Tibetans
have suffered harsh restrictions on their religion and culture under Chinese
rule — including the demolition of monasteries — which culminated in several
self-immolation protests by Tibetans in recent years.

A September report by the US-based Jamestown Foundation
claimed that hundreds of thousands of Tibetans were forced to participate in labour
transfer schemes, echoing Xinjiang’s large-scale forced labour programmes.

In response, Beijing claims that it has brought economic
development to the area and improved people’s quality of living.

Destro’s brief will include lobbying for Tibetan human
rights and engaging with Tibetan leaders including the Dalai Lama.

The exiled spiritual leader remains shunned by Beijing, and
China has threatened retaliation against any foreign country whose leaders meet
with him.