Beijing lashed out Thursday at Washington’s appointment of an envoy to oversee human rights issues in Tibet, saying the US wanted to destroy the region’s stability.
“The US side should stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China’s internal affairs and destroy Tibet’s development and stability,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a routine briefing.
The US State Department on Wednesday named top human rights official Robert Destro as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.
Bilateral ties between the US and China have sharply deteriorated over Washington’s frequent criticisms of Beijing’s human rights record on issues including Xinjiang and Tibet, where ethnic minorities allege harsh government repression.
Zhao insisted that ethnic minorities in Tibet enjoy “full freedom of religious belief”, and accused the US of “political manipulation”.
The remote, mountainous region bordering India, Nepal and Bhutan is one of the poorest in China, but awash with security, and access heavily restricted for foreigners including journalists.
https://hongkongfp.com/2020/10/16/china-slams-us-appointment-of-envoy-to-oversee-human-rights-issues-in-tibet/