(TibetanReview.net, Sep24’26) – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington, DC, on Sep 23 evening for a three-day state visit with a prior warning that the US should not cross four “red lines” – Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China’s development path and political system, and its development rights – reported the New York Post Sep 12, citing ambassador Xie Feng. However, he still faced protests from wide range of groups advocating issues such as national independence or self-rule, human rights, democracy, religious freedom, and so forth. They included Chinese democracy activists, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, Falun Gong followers, Hong Kong activists, and others who were attacked by a large pro-Beijing Chinese crowd as Xi landed on US soil.
As Xi landed on Joint Base Andrews, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly greeted by President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the airport in a rare planeside welcome amid pomp and ceremony that included a 100ft (30m) red carpet, 21-gun salute, the playing of the national anthems of both countries, and a military flyover. However, the protesters remained busy with their own version of reception for him.
Earlier on Sep 22, a Tibetan student activist from the group Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) was taken into police custody after he climbed an electric pole near the US Capitol Building and hung on it a banner and a Tibetan national flag. The banner read: “Dictator Xi, Your Empire Will Fall, Free Tibet.”
The activist, 20-year-old Tenzin Namgyal, climbed the pole at around 2:30am. He was taken down and away after a squad of 10 or so police cars arrived on the scene at 10:30 am, said the Tibetan service of rfa.org Sep 23.
And as a group of Tibetan and other protesters arrived outside the main entrance of Joint Base Andrews, they were met by a much larger crowd of pro-Beijing Chinese crowd already present on the scene to welcome Xi and his entourage, which included Cai Qi, a member of the party’s Politburo Standing Committee widely seen as his right-hand man, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as other delegates.
This crowd not only attacked the protesters physically but also played loud music to drown their slogans. Police intervened to pull away the protesters, telling them to protest at a location far away from the scene of Xi’s motorcade.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 Tibetans from across North America are expected to join Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese, Southern Mongolians and Chinese democracy activists in Washington on Sep 24 to protest Xi’s visit, reported IANS news service Sep 24.
The daylong mobilisation will include demonstrations outside the Chinese Embassy, marches through central Washington, a rally near the US Capitol and an evening candlelight vigil at Franklin Park.
The report cited organisers as saying the protesters would declare Xi “not welcome” and highlight concerns over political prisoners, religious freedom, transnational repression and threats to cultural and linguistic identities under his government.
The Tibetan Youth Congress and the Capital Area Tibetan Association are leading the Tibetan mobilisation. They are being supported by the International Campaign for Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, the Tibetan National Congress and other organisations.
They will call for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and other Tibetan political prisoners. They will also demand the resumption of dialogue between Chinese leaders and Tibetan representatives. Besides, they are seeking the repeal of laws and policies they say promote forced assimilation and erode distinct cultural, religious and linguistic identities.
Also, the International Campaign for Tibet has joined a coalition of 30 human rights organisations in sending an open letter to the Chinese president. The coalition is calling on China to release prisoners of conscience, end transnational repression and take concrete steps to address its human rights record.
Earlier, on Sep 20, Several Chinese democracy and human rights groups organized a march through the Flushing neighborhood of Queens in New York City, calling for an end to Chinese Communist Party rule despite bomb and death threats surrounding the demonstration. Police later detained a man after he rushed toward the demonstrators, grabbed activist Yang Lei’s protest sign, and kicked him, reported theepochtimes.com Sep 22. Yang is chairman of the China Democracy Party International Alliance.