China firmly opposes U.S. signing Xizang-related bill into law: Foreign Ministry

China firmly opposes the United States signing a Xizang-related bill into law and has protested to the U.S. side, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law the "Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act." The Act gives recognition to the so-called notion of "Greater Tibet," made up by the Dalai group, and asks the U.S. government and the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues to counter "disinformation about Tibet" from the Chinese government. President Biden said in a statement that the act "does not change longstanding bipartisan United States policy to recognize the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China as part of the People's Republic of China."

The spokesperson said the act violates the U.S. government's long-held position and commitments and the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interferes in China's domestic affairs, undermines China's interests, and sends a severely wrong signal to the "Tibet independence" forces.

The spokesperson said Xizang has been part of China since ancient times, and Xizang's affairs are China's internal affairs which brook no interference by any external forces. The region today enjoys social stability and harmony, with sound economic performance and the people's well-being protected. Xizang is making fresh progress in effectively running its society, maintaining social stability and achieving high-quality development. No one and no force should ever attempt to destabilize Xizang to contain and suppress China. Such attempts will never succeed.

"We urge the U.S. side to take concrete actions to honor its commitments of recognizing Xizang as part of China and not supporting 'Tibet independence.' The U.S. must not implement the Act. If the U.S. continues down the wrong path, China will take resolute measures to firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests," said the spokesperson.