Merkley, Young Celebrate Committee Passage of Bipartisan Bill Promoting Peaceful Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute

Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley-co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China-and Indiana's U.S. Senator Todd Young announced their Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act today passed the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The bicameral, bipartisan bill strengthens the United States' policy to promote dialogue between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Dalai Lama to move toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Tibet and the PRC. The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act previously passed the House of Representatives, and the next step is a vote in the full Senate.

"All peoples around the world have inalienable rights to freedom and self-determination. These principles must guide the actions and relationships of the United States around the world, especially in the face of our biggest adversaries," Merkley said. "The People's Republic of China continues to ignore the basic rights of the Tibetan people, and the status quo is not tenable. The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act sends a straightforward message to the Chinese government: stop spreading disinformation about Tibet and its history and enter sincere negotiations over Tibet's status. We must get this bipartisan bill over the finish line because the people of Tibet deserve a say in how they are governed."

"The Chinese Communist Party's aggression towards Tibet is self-serving, with negotiations and even the very definition of Tibet on the CCP's terms. We must refresh U.S. policy towards Tibet, and push for negotiations that advance freedoms for the Tibetan people and peaceful resolution to the CCP's conflict with the Dalai Lama. I am pleased by today's vote, and I urge the full Senate to pass this bipartisan legislation and demonstrate America's resolve that the CCP's status quo - both in Tibet and elsewhere - is not acceptable," Young said.

In addition to Merkley and Young, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act was cosponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Mike Crapo (R-ID). The House version of the bill was led by U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA-02) - Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China - and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX-10).

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