Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday, November 26, 1997

Express News Service: The Indian Express Nov.25,97

Close on the heels of the unexpected release of pro-democracy activist Wei Jingsheng last week, China has allowed the United States House Policy chairman, Christopher Cox, to the first official congressional delegation to Tibet in July next year, after a period of five years.

Christopher Cox was denied entry into Tibet by China in March this year. Both these concessions by China have supposedly come in the wake of premier Jiang Zemin's meeting with US President Bill Clinton recently. According to reports at the Tibetan government headquarters here, the congressional leaders had raised the issue of the visit to Tibet with the Chinese premier through the US House speaker, Newt Gingrich, in October.

Cox, together with another US representative Doug Bereuter (chairman of the House Sub-committee on Asia and the Pacific), will co-chair the first of the two such delegations. The trips are currently scheduled for July and August 1998. Cox would also be part of the second US delegation with Speaker Gingrich. Reports said the congressional visits with the US Policy for Freedom Initiative would help convey to China, the depth and seriousness of American concern.

The policy for Freedom authored by Cox is embodied in 11 Bills, each of which was passed in the House in 1997. One Bill provides for special human rights monitor at the US Embassy in Nepal, the principal gathering point for refugees from Tibet. Another resolution recently passed by the US Congress cites human rights violations in Tibet and calls for direct negotiations between Beijing and the Dalai Lama. Other Bills deal with Chinese espionage in the US, religious freedom and human rights.

Shortly after Cox was officially told that "his entry into Tibet was impossible", he is said to have met Tibetan leader Dalai Lama for in-depth discussions on Chinese repression in Tibet.

His visit to Tibet would not be his first. He had earlier gained entry into China after encountering initial rejection in 1990, as per information available here.