Editor's note: Iram Khan is a Pakistan-based commentator on international and commercial affairs. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this week, which has breached international law. Titled the Tibet Policy and Support Act, the congressional move has flouted all norms governing international relations and is tantamount to nothing but an attempt at foreign interference.

The bill tries to take aim at several issues that are unquestionably China's internal matters. Some of these include the succession process of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, establishment of a U.S. consulate and tampering with the rich culture and language of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Although the bill passed with an overwhelming majority, it had its share of opposition. Financial conservatives in the House took issue with the staggering 27 million U.S. dollars that will burden the U.S. taxpayers annually from 2021 to 2025. Meanwhile, the Senate is not expected to immediately take up the bill as it is engrossed in sorting the foreign policy mess that the U.S. President Donald Trump has created in Ukraine.

The bill builds on top of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Uygur Act passed last November and December, respectively, to send an awfully wrong message to separatist forces. It also represents a lack of regard by the U.S. lawmakers to the strides Tibet has taken in cultural and economic domains.  

Considering the Tibetan language that the U.S. lawmakers seem to be concerned about, it is the first ethnic minority language that has been developed by the Chinese government to meet international standards. Expansion and protection of the language are being carried out by experienced linguists who have recently added thousands of new terms to make it more expressive, on par with the fast-evolving world. Apart from that, local officials have painstakingly collected ancient books from remotest parts of the region during the last decade as part of the preservation process of the Tibetan literature.

The second major point in the bill is related to Tibetan Buddhist practices. U.S. lawmakers have failed to comprehend historical records on this aspect also. Buddhism was introduced in Tibet with the marriage of a Chinese princess from the Tang dynasty to the local ruler in the 7th century. Later, the region remained under the rule of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Qing dynasty emperors were the first to streamline the reincarnation procedure of the Dalai Lama and required approval of the selected candidates from the central authorities of China.

Following the ancient legacy, the current 14th Dalai Lama was approved by the national government of China in 1940 and the 11th Panchen Lama was approved by the PRC government in 1995. U.S. lawmakers' call that the Chinese government discontinues its supervision of the Dalai Lama's reincarnation process is a blatant disrespect to historical practices of the region.

Religious freedom forms the hallmark of today's Tibet. With over 1,700 religious sites and more than 46,000 resident monks and nuns, it attracts millions of pilgrimages every year. Just last October, the faithful marked the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa with full religious fervor.

And lastly, bidding for a U.S. consulate in Lhasa, when viewed in the larger context of the bill, jeopardizes the peacemaking efforts of the diplomatic corps of the U.S. because making demands of raising consulates in areas, where the U.S. lawmakers intend to impose their own version of human rights, translates to intruding in unauthorized territory. Besides, the approval of foreign missions remains the prerogative of the host country.

Tibet is a thriving economy. It is one of those regions in China which has eradicated absolute poverty. The last 150,000 people who were living in impoverished conditions were lifted out of poverty in 2019 despite the adverse natural conditions prevalent in Tibet's many parts.

In 2019, the region's GDP grew by nine percent, per capita disposable income by 10 percent, and foreign trade by 2.6 percent. Tourism forms the main force behind its economic uplift and saw 19 percent more visitors as compared to the previous year.

So basically, Tibet by no means welcomes the uncalled-for bill passed by the U.S. House. It is integrated with the rest of the country through economic, cultural and religious bonds that have matured over the course of centuries.

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