China firmly opposes US signing Xizang-related bill into law: spokesperson

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the Xizang-related bill signed into law by the U.S. side and has protested to the U.S. side, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said Saturday.

On July 12 local time, 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 violated the U.S. government's long-held position and commitments and the basic norms governing international relations, grossly interfered in China's domestic affairs, undermined China's interests, and sent a severely wrong signal to the "Tibet independence" forces. China firmly opposes it and has protested to the U.S. side.

The spokesperson said Xizang has been part of China since ancient times. Xizang affairs are China's internal affairs which brook no interference by any external forces. Xizang today enjoys social stability and harmony, with sound economic performance and people's well-being well 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.