China urges US to drop Tibet resolution

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-10 19:04

BEIJING -- China on Tuesday called for the withdrawal of a proposed US congressional resolution on Tibet.

"We request the related US representatives to follow the basic norms guiding international relations and stop pushing the bill on Tibet," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told the regular press briefing.

Ma's comments came as the US House of Representatives was to vote on the non-binding measure on Tibet on Tuesday, which was authored by Democratic Representative Rush Holt.

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"We express the grave concern over the issue," Ma said.

"The Tibet issue is purely China's domestic issue. The Chinese government and people, as always, oppose any country or anyone to interfere in China's internal affairs on the pretext of the Tibet issue."

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of end of feudal serfdom in Tibet, Ma said,"The democratic reforms are the widest, most profound and most comprehensive social reforms in Tibetan history, blazing a new path for Tibet's prosperity."

In March 1959, the Chinese government dissolved the aristocratic local government of Tibet and freed more than 1 million serfs.

"Over the past 50 years, Tibet has undergone profound changes in the political, economic and cultural sectors and the millions of serfs have become the new owners of Tibet," Ma said.