US Congressional Delegation Meets Dalai Lama in India
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast led a bipartisan delegation to Dharamsala to meet the Dalai Lama and condemn Chinese repression of Tibetans.
A bipartisan congressional delegation led by Brian Mast, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, met with the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, on September 30, 2026. The visit followed high-level diplomatic meetings in New Delhi with Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to discuss defense cooperation and the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
During the meeting in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama stated that it is important for U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet as leaders of the world's strongest nations. Mast responded that such a meeting should not diminish international concerns regarding China's repression of Tibetans and Uyghurs. He specifically condemned China's Law on Ethnic Unity and Progress as a tool for global surveillance and accused the Chinese government of attempting to forcibly appoint a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
Other delegation members, including Representatives Haley Stevens and James Gallagher, reaffirmed U.S. support for democracy and self-determination. Stevens called for the Chinese Communist Party to allow Tibetans to return to their homeland, while Gallagher urged China to stop oppressing its people. The visit concluded with a tour of the Tibet Museum and a dinner hosted by the Central Tibetan Administration.
