China issued sanctions on U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, the sponsor of a bill advocating for a peaceful resolution of the China-Tibet dispute China views Tibet as an "inseparable part of China since ancient times," despite supporters of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Dalai Lama saying that Tibet has historically been independent.
Framed as a response to McGovern’s efforts to undermine Chinese territorial sovereignty, the sanctions freeze the representative’s Chinese assets, prohibit organizations or individuals in China from engaging with him, and ban him and his family from entering Chinese territory, according to a publication from Chinese state-media agency Xinhua.
McGovern has no assets or business dealings in China, according to The Associated Press.
McGovern’s Tibet-China Dispute Act, which passed through the House in mid-June, gives the State Department increased authority to counter Chinese disinformation about Tibet and promotes the resumption of talks between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama. No such talks have occurred since 2010.
President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law on July 12.
China stands accused of large-scale human rights abuses in Tibet, which the congressman hoped to alleviate with this legislation.
If PRC leaders don’t like it when people speak out against their horrific human rights record, maybe they should improve their horrific human rights record, McGovern told VOA in a written statement Thursday. They can start by ending their oppression of Tibetans, ending their genocide in Xinjiang, and ending their crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, he added.
"In the meantime, these absurd sanctions against me only serve to highlight how PRC leaders are afraid of free and open debate. They seek to punish and silence those who disagree with them. But the world is watching what they do, and people who care about human rights will not be silent. I will proudly wear this sanction as a badge of honor," he said.
In a statement released on June 12 when the bill passed the House, McGovern said, "The People’s Republic of China has systematically denied Tibetans the right to self-determination and continues to deliberately erase Tibetan religion, culture, and language."
"The ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people is a grave tragedy, and our bill provides further tools that empower both America and the international community to stand up for justice and peace," he said.
Among the signees of the statement were House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Senator Todd Young, McGovern and Senator Jeff Merkley.
In a response, Chinese state-sponsored media Xinhua said the Tibet-China Dispute Act "grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs," violates international law and distorts historical facts to suppress China and encourage Tibetan separatist movements.
This is not the first time China has sanctioned a U.S. representative for their involvement in an issue that threatens Chinese territorial homogeneity. Over the last year, China has sanctioned both Representative McCaul and former Representative Mike Gallagher over their support for Taiwan.
