Editor's Note: Manisha Chakraborty is a freelance Indian journalist. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

During the assassination of Julius Caesar at the Senate House, seeing his trusted friend Brutus among the conspirators, Caesar uttered the famous words "Et tu, Brute?" meaning "Even you, Brutus?" These historical words in William Shakespeare's immortal play "Julius Caesar" in a sense reveal a traitor's character through the ages.

Surely, U.S. President Donald Trump has proved himself a Brutus by signing the "Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act" (H.R. 1872) into law on December 12, 2018. Needless to say, this provocative legislation will further complicate the Sino-U.S. relations amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

The relationship between China and the U.S. was founded on cooperation, trade, and most importantly the agreement of the "one-China policy." The three communiques of 1972, 1979 and 1982 marked the advent of friendly ties between the two countries and both sides agreed to respect each other's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and adhere to the one-China policy.

But since taking charge of the Oval Office as the 45th U.S. president, Trump has revealed himself as a teenager rather than a mature adult in the field of international diplomacy so far. His braggadocious attacks on the establishment of China-U.S. relations will prove counterproductive and self-destructive to America's interests.

Trump's endorsement of the Taiwan Travel Act (TTA) into law on March 16, 2018, and the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act are the best examples of his treachery to his given promise during his first telephone call with President Xi Jinping on February 9, 2017. He agreed to honor the one-China policy which proclaims Taiwan and Tibet are inalienable part of the Chinese territory. 

As such, Trump's nod to the Reciprocal Access To Tibet Act is unexpected as during his first diplomatic encounter with President Xi at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in April last year, the U.S. president said he had "developed a friendship" with the Chinese leader. Xi praised Trump's affirmation and said China was willing to work with the U.S. to enhance "constructive relations" between the two sides.

Then again during his official visit to China from November 8 to 10 last year, Trump reaffirmed his country's commitment to the one-China policy, noting that it is the political cornerstone for bilateral relations. 

But the signing of the TTA, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the imposition of penal tariffs on imports of 34 billion U.S. dollars in July and culminated in higher customs duties on total Chinese imports of 250 billion U.S., severe punishment to Chinese company ZTE, the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the request of the United States, and finally the signing of "Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act" have unmasked his hypocritical diplomacy that is souring the Sino-U.S. relations.

According to the new law, China must allow American journalists, diplomats and tourists unrestricted access to southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The State Department under Mike Pompeo shall report to Congress annually, identifying Chinese officials who are substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies to restrict the access of Americans to Tibetan areas. These officials will be denied entry into the United States.

This provoked a strong protest from China. On December 14, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry Lu Kang said that the bill approved by the Senate is an "interference in China's internal affairs" and violates the basic norms governing international relations.

Obviously, the U.S. move is a deliberate provocation by Trump himself to interfere in China's internal affairs using a domestic law. Plainly speaking, this is another U.S. attempt to control China's development.

Some American citizens – including lawmakers, activists and human rights – cheered the "Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act" as if they have won the lottery, but they should recognize that the businessman-turned-president is actually making Tibet Act a pawn, a leverage to bargain with China as part of his "America First" policy keeping an eye on 2020 elections. 

Separatist Tibetans across the U.S. hope that under the new act, the U.S. military will come to protect "unsavory Tibetans elements" who seek "the independence of Tibet" in case of conflict with China. But it is a myopic thought as Americans do not spill their blood defending another country's interests. The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria is the latest example.

Trump must remember that Tibet is an inseparable part of China and all matters pertaining to Tibet are internal affairs of China. The international community supports the Chinese government in its efforts to ensure social stability and the rule of law in Tibet and to defend the fundamental interests of the Tibetan people.

It is important to remember that during former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's talks with the then Chinese Premier Li Peng and top leader Deng Xiaoping in Beijing in December 1988, he said that "Tibet is part of China and India doesn't interfere in China's domestic affairs."

And this position has been followed by the successive Indian governments. In February this year, India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale instructed government representatives not to participate in Tibetan events.

The logic for passing the bill also does not hold water. According to an article published on this very website, every year, a large number of Chinese and foreign people visit Tibet and do business. Since 2015, nearly 40,000 people from the U.S. have visited Tibet, including the minority leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and senators.

China welcomes visitors who truly love China and Tibet with an open mind. But it "won't welcome those who try to threaten China's sovereignty by using extraterritorial laws like the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act."

Trump needs to learn the basics of one-China policy and the history of Tibet. Tibet became a component part of China in the course of a long historical process. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Tibetan and Han peoples had cemented political and kinship ties of unity and friendship, and formed close economic and cultural relations, laying a solid foundation for the ultimate founding of a unified nation.

Tibet was officially put under the jurisdiction of the Central Government of China in the middle of the 13th Century, which is held by historians as the inevitable result of the historical development of China. In the 700-odd years thereafter, Tibet was ruled by upper-class monks and lay people. During the period, the Central Government of China exercised sovereignty over the territory of Tibet.

After the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local government of Tibet on Measures for Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, also known as the 17-Article Agreement, was signed in Beijing on May 23, 1951, to bring about the peaceful liberation of Tibet which was a milestone marking the commencement of Tibet's progress from a dark and backward society toward a bright and advanced future. 

Through the democratic reform in 1959, Tibet has abolished feudal serfdom and theocracy, establishing the system of People's Congress with the people as masters of the country. The Tibet Autonomous Region was established officially in September 1965.

Since then, Tibet has achieved rapid and comprehensive economic and social development and made a world-claimed historical leap with the support of the entire nation and the firm leadership of the Central Government of China. 

As such, the Dalai clique for the so-called "high degree of autonomy" by setting up the "greater Tibet" only negates Chinese sovereignty over Tibet and goes against the PRC Constitution, which will certainly be doomed.

Undoubtedly, the signing of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act has revealed Trump's megalomaniac nature in international diplomacy which can only create an "American tragedy."

By signing the Tibet Act, Trump has betrayed his own commitment to adhere to the one- China policy. "Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to fail and will meet with the people's condemnation and the punishment of history," President Xi warned at the closing meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 20. 

Do President Trump and his allies actually understand this? Who knows?!

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