US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in India on a two-day visit,
met a representative of Tibet’s spiritual leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi on
Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the US state department.

Blinken’s meeting with Ngodup Dongchung, a representative of the Central
Tibetan Administration, which is part of Tibet’s government-in-exile, is likely
to provoke anger from China which veritably opposes overtures to legitimise the
government in exile.

The meeting comes at a time when China is facing rising criticism for its
alleged human rights violations.

China’s Tibet conundrum

The Chinese government considers Tibet a part of China and calls the Dalai
Lama “a dangerous separatist”.

Chinese troops seized Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a “peaceful
liberation”. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising
against Chinese rule and settled in India.  

US’ support for Tibet

In November last year, Lobsang Sangay, the former head of Tibet’s
government-in-exile, visited the White House, the first such visit in six
decades, according to a report by NDTV.

A month later, the US Congress passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act,
which called for Tibetans to choose the successor to Dalai Lama and the
establishment of a US consulate in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

Blinken’s meeting with Ngodup Dongchung on Wednesday is the most
significant contact the US has made with Tibet’s government-in-exile since
erstwhile US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama in Washington in 2016.

India’s role

India has considered Tibet an independent country since 1947. India has
housed the Dalai Lama since 1959 and has also given asylum to
Tibetans-in-exile. Although recently, India has been more careful to not hurt
Chinese sensibilities on the Tibet question.

Blinken’s visit

Following Blinken’s meeting with Dongchung, the US Secretary of State met leaders
of several Indian civil society groups. At the meeting, Blinken said that the
US and India share a commitment to democratic values and it is part of the
bedrock of the relationship.

Blinken further met India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and India’s
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday.