Mark Kirk: “the United States has no permanent diplomatic presence in Tibet. Our closest consulate is located in Chengdu--1,500…”

“the United States has no permanent diplomatic presence in Tibet. Our closest consulate is located in Chengdu--1,500 miles away from Tibet's capital of Lhasa. During the recent violence, the Chinese government sealed off the Tibetan Autonomous Region to U.S. diplomats and foreign journalists. America has no permanent office to monitor the situation and to assist U.S. citizens. Last week, I authored appropriation language to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Lhasa, Tibet. The language is supported by the Dalai Lama's special envoy, Lodi Gyari. The U.S. State Department has no opposition to it, and the Chinese ambassador to Washington has welcomed its discussion. I urge my colleagues to support this initiative to demonstrate our bipartisan commitment to the people of Tibet and the expanding diplomatic presence of the United States.”