Special Report: Focus on Tibet

    WASHINGTON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution on Tibet in gross interference in China's internal affairs.

    The resolution neglected the remarkable and widely recognized progress in Tibet in politics, economy, culture and society over the past 50 years.

    It also repeated groundless accusations against the Chinese government over its Tibet policy and voiced support for the Dalai Lama's separatist activities.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu urged the U.S. representatives Tuesday to follow the basic norms guiding international relations and stop pushing the bill on Tibet.

    "The Tibet issue is purely China's domestic issue. The Chinese government and people, as always, oppose any country or anyone to interfere in China's internal affairs on the pretext of the Tibet issue," he said.

    This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of feudal serfdom in Tibet.

    Fifty years ago, the central government of China foiled an armed rebellion by the Dalai Lama and his supporters to block reform in Tibet and split the region from China.

    On March 28, 1959, a new local Tibetan government was formed, freeing millions of Tibetan serfs and slaves, who accounted for more than 90 percent of the then population.

    "Over the past 50 years, Tibet has undergone profound changes in political, economic and cultural sectors and millions of serfs have become owner of Tibet," Ma said.

    However, with the backing of certain anti-China elements in the West, the Dalai Lama and his followers have continued to pursue either disguised or undisguised activities in an attempt to separate Tibet from China and restore feudal serfdom in the region.

    On March 14 last year, followers of the Dalai Lama staged riots in Lhasa to put pressure on the central government. Their violence resulted in the deaths of 18 civilians and huge property losses.

Commentary: U.S. bill on Tibet confuses facts

    BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a resolution on Tibet that is not only a gross interference in China's domestic affairs but also confuses the facts of the issue.

    The bill disregards the history and reality of the Chinese autonomous region by trying to justify Tibet's dark ages, glorify the treacherous Dalai Lama and baselessly criticize China's religious policy. To sum up, the bill is poles apart from the truth.

    The lawmakers who wrote and supported the bill should know that Tibet's democratic reforms bear great similarities to events that have happened on American soil. Full story