On 25 September, the House of Representatives of the United States, (the lower chamber of the United States Congress) adopted the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. The act, if also passed by the Senate and then signed by the President, would authorize banning Chinese officials from entering the U.S. if they are found responsible for denying access to Tibet to diplomats, journalists or ordinary tourists. This landmark development reacts to the lack of access to Tibet and of reciprocity between the U.S. and China -as Chinese citizens, including diplomats, journalists and tourist benefits from unfettered access to the entire territory of the U.S.<\/p>\n
ICT is calling on governments and parliaments in Europe and elsewhere to follow this example and become more assertive in terms of the principle of reciprocity, which should not be applied in the fields of trade and commerce only, but also to human rights and the rule of law.<\/p>\n
Below is the press release of our U.S. colleagues regarding this important step (c<\/em>e communiqu\u00e9 de presse est \u00e9galement disponible en fran\u00e7ais ici<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\n ******<\/p>\n\n US House passes Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act<\/strong><\/h4>\n