The Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Xizang Autonomous Region and the Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference both issued a statement on Saturday, expressing strong indignation at and firm opposition to the United States signing a bill on Xizang.

The so-called Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act blatantly trampled international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, noted the statement issued by the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Xizang Autonomous Region.

The real and sinister intention of the United States is to contain and suppress China and attempt to internationalize the so-called "Tibet issue," said the statement, adding that the act sends a gravely erroneous signal to the separatist forces seeking "Tibet independence."

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and Xizang has been an integral part of China since ancient times, it noted. In the new era, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Xizang has made all-round progress and historic achievements in various undertakings, it added.

Today's Xizang is a place featuring political and social stability, economic prosperity, ethnic unity, religious harmony and sound ecology, and it is a place where people live and work in peace and contentment, the statement noted.

It said the so-called "Tibetan government-in-exile" is an out-and-out separatist political group and a political organization violating China's Constitution and laws. "The 14th Dalai Lama and the so-called 'Tibetan government-in-exile' have no right at all to represent people in Xizang, still less to decide the future of Xizang," it added.

Xizang affairs are purely China's internal affairs, which brook no external interference, it stated.

The regional legislature of Xizang urged the U.S. Congress to observe basic norms governing international relations and honor the U.S. government's commitment to acknowledging that Xizang is part of China and not supporting "Tibet independence."

In the face of facts and truth, no matter how the U.S. anti-China politicians confuse right and wrong and distort facts, they can never undermine social stability in Xizang and can never prevent all ethnic groups in Xizang from taking firm steps toward a better life, said the statement.

'Happiness is the greatest human right'

The so-called act grossly interferes in China's internal affairs, arbitrarily smears and attacks China's Xizang policies and sends a gravely erroneous signal to "Tibet independence" forces, noted the statement released by the Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and Xizang has been an integral part of China since ancient times, it reiterated. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Xizang has eradicated absolute poverty for the first time in history and seen political and social stability, economic development, ethnic unity and religious harmony, the statement said.

People's happiness is the greatest human right, and it is the people of Xizang who have the most say in this regard, noted the statement. The statement stressed that Xizang affairs are purely China's internal affairs and no external interference will be tolerated.

The statement said that the fact that Xizang has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times will never change, no matter how the United States confuses right and wrong and distorts the facts.

"We solemnly demand that the United States abides by its commitment to acknowledging that Xizang is part of China and not supporting 'Tibet independence.'"

(With input from Xinhua)