The so-called "Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2020" of the United States seriously violates the fundamental principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations, grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Tibet independence". The Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region expresses strong indignation and firm opposition. The Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region solemnly declares as follows:
Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times, and the Tibetan people are a member of the Chinese nation community. Tibet affairs are China's internal affairs, and no foreign force can make irresponsible remarks or grossly interfere in them. Since its peaceful liberation, the Communist Party of China has led the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet in carrying out democratic reform, establishing socialist system, advancing reform and opening up, and implementing the Party's ethnic and religious policies. Tibet has made all-round progress and historic achievements in various undertakings. The "Act", however, ignores facts, reverses the truth and uses human rights and religion as a pretext to distort, discredit and make groundless accusations against the social development in Tibet, denigrate China's ethnic and religious policies, and interfere in the normal order of the reincarnation of living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism. Its fundamental purpose is to undermine the prosperity and stability of Tibet.
In Tibet today, the people are the masters of the country. In 1959, the democratic reform in Tibet completely abolished the feudal serfdom under theocracy, and millions of serfs were liberated and became masters of the new Tibet. They took an equal part in the administration of state affairs and independently managed the affairs of their own ethnic groups and regions. At present, the Tibet Autonomous Region has more than 35,900 deputies to the people's congresses at all levels, of whom 92.18 percent are from the Tibetan and other ethnic minorities. The People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region and its Standing Committee have enacted and approved more than 300 local regulations, resolutions and decisions of a legal nature, which legally and systematically protect the rights of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet to be masters of the country.
Tibet today enjoys rapid economic and social development and its people live and work in peace and contentment. Before the peaceful liberation, there were no roads in Tibet. Now, roads, railways and air routes extend in all directions, and expressways have been continuously extended. The total length of highways in Tibet has reached 103,600 km. We give priority to education, implement the "three guarantees" policy and 15 years of government-funded education, and the average person has 9.55 years of education. There is more employment, the people have a rich and colorful cultural life, and the traditional culture of our ethnic groups is protected and passed on. The level of medical and health care in Tibet has been greatly improved. The population of Tibet has increased from 1,228,000 in 1959 to 3,438,200 in 2018, of whom Tibetans account for over 90 percent. The average life expectancy has risen to 70.6 years. Social security has been substantially improved. In 2019, the per capita disposable income of urban residents and rural residents rose by 10.7 percent and by 13.1 percent respectively. By 2020, Tibet has achieved a major victory in poverty alleviation. All poverty-stricken counties have been lifted out of poverty, and absolute poverty has been eradicated historically. The Tibetan people have a growing sense of gain, happiness and security.
Tibet today is characterized by ethnic unity, religious harmony and social harmony. The CPC Central Committee has always shown great concern for Tibet. The Central Committee has held seven meetings on work in Tibet, formulated a series of special preferential policies, and the people of the whole country have given great support to Tibet. The people of all ethnic groups in Tibet share one heart and one mind with the people of all ethnic groups in China. They cherish ethnic unity as much as they cherish their lives, and they hold each other tightly like pomegranate seeds. The sense of Chinese nation community is deeply embedded in the blood of all ethnic groups in Tibet. The Chinese government implements a policy of freedom of religious belief. Currently, Tibet has 1,787 sites for Tibetan Buddhist activities, and more than 46,000 resident monks and nuns. Traditional religious activities such as sutras study and debate in Tibetan Buddhist temples, degree promotion, religious festivals, sutras conversion and Buddhist worship are conducted normally. Religious believers generally have sutras or shrines at their homes. The reincarnation of living Buddhas is a unique inheritance mode of Tibetan Buddhism with fixed religious rituals and historical conventions. The Chinese government has promulgated the Regulations on Religious Affairs and the Measures for the Administration of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism to respect and protect this mode of inheritance of Tibetan Buddhism. The reincarnation system of the Dalai Lama has a history of hundreds of years. The 14th Dalai Lama himself was identified according to religious rituals and historical conventions and submitted to the central government for approval as the successor. Therefore, the US has no right to use religious issues to meddle in China's internal affairs, and its sinister intentions are plain to see.
Tibet today has a beautiful ecological environment and rich natural resources. We firmly uphold the concept of “Clean waters and green mountains are invaluable assets. Frozen and snow-covered lands are also invaluable assets.” and insist on paying equal attention to protection and construction. All kinds of nature reserves have reached to one third of the total area of the Tibet autonomous region. At present, the structure of various ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau is stable. Tibet is still one of the regions with the best ecological environment across the world.
Over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China and 60 years since the democratic reform in Tibet, in just a few decades under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the poor and backward old Tibet has been transformed into a new Tibet featuring economic and cultural prosperity, all-round social progress, a sound ecological environment and a happy life for the people. This is a fact that is obvious to all. The Tibetan people have the best saying on whether Tibet is developing well or not and whether it has freedom of religious belief. The United States has no qualification to act as a judge or teacher. What is more outrageous is that the United States not only turns a blind eye to the development and progress of Tibet, but also tries its best to negate the achievements of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet and willfully discredit the Chinese government's policy of governing Tibet. This supports the Dalai clique engaged in anti-China separatist activities. This is all about interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining China's development in the name of religion and human rights. We are firmly opposed to this, and the sinister political plot of the US side will never succeed.
Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, people of all ethnic groups in Tibet are working together with the rest of the Chinese people to create a happier life and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The future of Tibet belongs to the entire Tibetan people and the entire Chinese nation. The future of Tibet will be even more glorious.