Washington DC, May 21: The US envoy to China, Terry Branstad, is on a rare official visit to Tibet, in the midst of rising trade war between China and the United States. US envoy’s this visit to Tibet marks the first visit of an American envoy to the disputed Himalayan region since 2015.
According to ANI news reports, a US state department spokesperson was quoted as saying, “The US ambassador to China is making a trip to Tibet, the first by an American envoy in four years, after obtaining rare access to the restricted region.”
The US envoy is slated to make a travel to Qinghai Province of Tibet and the Tibet Autonomous Region from May 19 to 25.
During the US envoy’s visit, various official meetings will behold, as well as, he will pay a visit to cultural and religious heritage areas, schools and other places of interests.
The representative has welcomed the recent opportunity to pay a visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region and also encouraged the Tibetian authorities to provide access to the region to all the US citizens, according to the state department.
The spokesperson added, “The envoy will engage with local leaders to raise longstanding concerns about restrictions on religious freedom and the preservation of Tibetan culture and language. He will also learn first-hand about the region’s unique culture, religion, and ecological significance.”