/CHINA: Biden Would Sanction Chinese Off'ls Re: Tibet Human Rights (PTI)

Slamming Beijing''s plan to further tighten control over Tibet, Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden has said that if voted to power, his administration will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet. "My administration will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, and step up support for the Tibetan people, including by expanding Tibetan language services at Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to get information from the outside world into Tibet," Biden said. Biden vowed that as president he will meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, appoint a new Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, and insist that the Chinese government restore access to Tibet for US citizens, including our diplomats and journalists. Noting that this past weekend, the Chinese government announced plans to further tighten control over Tibet, thereby continuing to erode the human rights, religious freedoms, and dignity of the Tibetan people, Biden said that these are only the latest efforts by Beijing to crush ethnic minorities that seek to preserve their distinct culture, language, and beliefs.