Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States— (1) to affirm the commitment of the United States to a resolution of the dispute between Tibet and the People’s Republic of China as a matter of strategic interest to the United States; (2) to encourage the Government of the People’s Republic of China to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people with regard to their distinct historical, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity; (3) to support the Tibetan people’s free exercise of their internationally recognized human rights, including the right to self-determination; (4) that the Central Tibetan Administration represents continuity of governance of the Tibetan people as established by the Dalai Lama; and (5) to support the Central Tibetan Administration in its effort to carry out the responsibilities for which it has been empowered by the Dalai Lama and legitimized by the Tibetan people through their exercise of a genuine democratic process.