Dharamshala: A five-member bipartisan delegation from the United States House of Representatives addressed the media in Dharamshala on 30 September 2026, following an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at his official residence.
The delegation comprised Representatives Brian Mast (Republican–Florida), James Gallagher (Republican–California), Jimmy Patronis (Republican–Florida), Haley Stevens (Democrat–Michigan), and Shri Thanedar (Democrat–Michigan). The delegation was accompanied by Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Representative Jigme Tsering of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.
Upon arriving at Kangra Airport the previous day, the delegation received a warm reception from senior leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), led by Tsegyal Choekya Dranyi, Kalon of the Department of Religion and Culture; Tashi Gyatso Shadrong, Interim Cabinet Secretary and Political Secretary; Jigme Tsering, Representative of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi; Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, Joint Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR); and Ngawang Choedhar, Protocol Officer of the DIIR.
Later that evening, Sikyong Penpa Tsering accompanied the congressional delegation on a guided tour of The Tibet Museum. Thereafter, the CTA hosted a welcome dinner reception in honour of the visiting delegation at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts.
After receiving a special audience with His Holiness the following day, the delegation briefly spoke to the media waiting outside His Holiness’ residence.
The delegation’s chair, Representative Brian Mast, reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to human rights, religious freedom, and the democratic aspirations of the Tibetan people. He also highlighted growing concerns over China’s transnational repression and said that support for Tibet remains a bipartisan issue in the U.S. Congress.
Reflecting on his meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Congressman Mast said it was an experience he would “never forget.” He said the two discussed a wide range of issues, including China, the freedom of the Tibetan people, and His Holiness’ representation of freedom across the globe.
Referring to the China’s so-called “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”, Congressman Mast expressed concern about its potential impact beyond China. He highlighted that freedom and basic rights are inherent to every individual and that a government’s true purpose is to safeguard those rights rather than grant them. He added that these core principles mark a fundamental distinction between the Chinese regime, the United States, and the peaceful struggle of the Tibetan people.
Responding to a media question about the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Congressman Mast said that, in his understanding, His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers engagement between world leaders important. He said His Holiness had expressed the view that it was important for President Trump to meet President Xi, given their positions as leaders of two of the world’s major powers.
Answering media inquiries regarding U.S.–China diplomatic relations, Congressman Mast stated that high-level international meetings would not weaken concerns about human rights violations in Tibet and other countries. Reaffirming the U.S. Congress’s firm opposition to Chinese state coercion, he called on China to stop its repression of Tibetans and Uyghurs. He added that China should instead “embrace freedom and support freedom across the globe.”
He also addressed a range of other topics, including changing U.S. geopolitical priorities and relations with China; the American role in defending rights and democracy and the extent to which these values remain central to U.S. foreign policy; the delegation’s expectations regarding the passage of the Resolve Tibet Act; the recent self-immolation of Martyr Lobga Rangzen; China’s interference in the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; and the PRC’s dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people.
