US lawmaker Scott Perry has introduced a bill recognising Tibet as a separate and independent country.
The bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (May 19), the Central Tibetan Administration, also known as the Tibetan Government in Exile, said in a report on May 25.
The bill has been sent to the White House for the further recognition of US President Donald Trump.
Scott Perry, Rep from Pennsylva, was among the 32 members of Congress who signed the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's bipartisan letter to the US Secretary of State in May 2019 urging the Trump Administration to promptly implement key legislations--Tibet Policy Act of 2002 and the 2018 Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act--passed by Congress to guide United States policy on Tibet.
The bill further seeks to ramp up pressure on Beijing as both the US and China have entered a tussle on coronavirus and trade-related issues.
Perry has also issued a similar bill for Hong Kong on May 22 to stand with the people of Hong Kong and support their fight for freedom and democracy.
During a meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing this week, the CCP proposed an expansive national security law for Hong Kong - to ban subversion of CCP power, secession, foreign influence, and terrorism. The law is the latest attack on Hong Kong's independence by Mainland China and further erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy. Last year, Hong Kong experienced six months of mass protest over a bill that would've allowed for the arrest and extradition of Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors to Mainland China.
"An attack on Hong Kong's freedoms is an attack on democracy and independence across the world. The United States cannot tolerate a further erosion of Hong Kong's rights, and we'll continue to lead the international community in condemning China's actions," Perry said in a statement published on his official website.
( With inputs from ANI )