Tibetan Review
May 21, 2009

China on May 19 condemned a U.S. foreign
relations bill proposal, claiming it interfered
in China's internal affairs due to its contents
regarding Tibet as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The Section 237 of the bill proposed giving
grants to groups that protect Tibetan culture and
history, or promote environmental protection,
education and health care services there, noted
China’s official Xinhua news agency May 19.

"China resolutely rejected the US act and made
solemn representations with the United States,"
the report quoted China’s Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu as telling regular press
conference. He was responding to introduction on
May 14 of "Foreign Relations Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2010 and 2011 (H.R.2410)" by US
Congressman Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

China’s official China Daily newspaper May 20
cited Ma as demanding the deletion of the
sections that "interfere with China's internal
affairs". It noted that “the act expresses the
intention to establish a US consulate in Lhasa,
Tibet, to monitor political, economic, and cultural developments in Tibet."