(TibetanReview.net, Jul08’25) – After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China has targeted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for having messaged greetings to the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday on Jul 6.
Asked to comment on Rubio’s mesage on the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has said the US was in “no position” to point fingers at China on Tibet-related issues, demanding that Washington fully recognise the “sensitivity” of the matter.
Speaking at a regular press conference on Jul 8, Mao has called the Dalai Lama “a political exile who is engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion”, that he has “no right” to represent the Tibetan people or decide the region’s future.
“We urge the US to fully recognise the importance and sensitivity of Tibet-related issues and the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai clique,” Reuters Jul 8 quoted her as saying.
Rubio’s message was read at the commemoration of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday in Dharamshala by Ms Bethany Poulos Morrison, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for India & Bhutan. The message said the Dalai Lama continued to inspire people by embodying a message of “unity, peace, and compassion.”
” The US remains firmly committed to promoting respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Tibetans. We support efforts to preserve Tibetans’ distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage, including their ability to freely choose and venerate religious leaders without interference,” he had added.
Video-recorded tributes from three former US Presidents – Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Barack Obama – were also presented at the commemoration.