The Dalai Lama is the Tibetan spiritual leader.<\/b>
\nChina scolded U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after he extended birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, and told Washington to \u00ab\u00a0stop meddling\u00a0\u00bb.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, assumed his role in 1940. Following the violent suppression of a 1959 uprising in Lhasa by Chinese forces, he fled Tibet and has since made his home in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, in India.
There, he helped establish a democratic government-in-exile and has traveled extensively, advocating for Tibetan autonomy. He turned 90 on July 6, and Rubio said in a message that the Dalai Lama \u00ab\u00a0continues to inspire with his message of unity, peace, and compassion.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0Xizang affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, which brook no external interference\u00a0\u00bb, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing on Tuesday, July 8, using the Chinese name for Tibet.
\u00ab\u00a0As is widely known, the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious figure but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion.
\u00ab\u00a0He and the so-called ‘Tibetan government in exile’ are in no position at all to represent the people in Xizang, still less decide the future of Xizang.\u00a0\u00bb
Mao said China is protecting and promoting the freedoms of various religious and ethnic groups in Xizang. \u00ab\u00a0The world can clearly see that, and the U.S. is in no position to point its fingers at China\u00a0\u00bb, Mao said.
\u00ab\u00a0We urged the U.S. to be fully cognizant of the importance and sensitivity of Xizang-related issues, see clearly the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalit group, honor the commitments that the U.S. has made to China on issues related to Xizang, stop meddling in those issues, and stop sending any wrong signal in any form to the Tibet independence forces.\u00a0\u00bb
In a July 5 post to his official X account, Rubio said: \u00ab\u00a0Extending best wishes to His Holiness @DalaiLama on his 90th birthday. The Dalai Lama continues to inspire with his message of unity, peace, and compassion.\u00a0\u00bb
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.<\/p>\n