[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 12014]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           CHINA TIBET VISAS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, for over five decades now, the Chinese 
Communist Party has ruled Tibet harshly and has treated the Tibetan 
people with great disdain.
  The current regime says that Tibet is open to all visitors, but the 
truth is that actual access is highly restricted and is subject to 
arbitrary closures. It is difficult for tourists to access the region, 
and it is almost impossible for journalists and diplomats to get in to 
report on conditions.
  When Chinese officials get visas to the U.S., they are not kept out 
of certain States or cities. They are free to travel our Nation, as are 
Chinese tourists and reporters. It is time that the Chinese Government 
lives up to its word and allows access to Tibet, not only for 
Americans, but for the many religious pilgrims from nations around the 
world.
  I am a proud cosponsor of Congressman McGovern's bill, H.R. 4851, the 
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2014. The bill restricts access to 
America for those Chinese Government officials who are responsible for 
blocking travel to Tibet. This is a matter of basic fairness and is 
critical to ensuring that human rights are protected in Tibet.

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