Brian Mast meets Dalai Lama, signals US support for Tibetans
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast just met the Dalai Lama, making it clear the US still backs Tibetans and other groups facing repression by the Chinese government, even as tensions with China heat up.
A week after President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US Mast called the Dalai Lama a representation of freedom around the world and strongly criticized how China treats Tibetans.
Tibetans, Hong Kong activists protest
While Xi visited the US Tibetans, Hong Kong activists and others hit the streets to protest China's crackdown on dissent.
Mast also raised concerns about China's attempts to control Tibetan spiritual traditions and urged Congress to keep supporting both Tibetans and Uyghurs facing repression.
The message: human rights in these regions are still a big deal for the US.