Trump signs Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018

The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 19, signaling strong support for U.S. citizens to have the same access to travel throughout Tibet as Chinese nationals enjoy in the U.S.

US citizens including government officials, reporters and tourists who seek to enter Tibetan areas are routinely rejected, and the few who do get in are forced to stay on strictly controlled official tours, where the true situation of the Tibetan people is hidden from them, officials said.

The situation is worst of all for Tibetan-Americans, who are almost and always denied the right to make a pilgrimage to their ancestral land and to meet their family members there, community members.

The State Department will also be required to annually report to Congress the nature of access granted to U.S. diplomats, officials, journalists, and tourists to Tibet.

The act was passed by the Senate on Dec. 11, after gaining approval from the House of Representatives in September.

“Our foreign policy ought to send the message that we stand for human rights. That we stand with those whose culture and religious freedom are oppressed. And that our values compel us to speak out when we see something that’s wrong,” said Congressman Jim McGovern, one of the bill’s sponsors.

“We should not accept a double standard where Chinese officials can freely visit the United States while at the same blocking our diplomats, journalists and Tibetan-Americans from visiting Tibet,” said Senator Marco Rubio.