BEIJING, 28 December, 2020, (TON): The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday said it firmly rejected new U.S. legislation on Tibet signed into law by President Donald Trump over the weekend.

Tibet-related issues are domestic affairs, Zhao Lijian, a ministry spokesman, said at a regular media briefing.

The Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) was passed by the House and Senate on 22 December, 2020 as an amendment to the $1.4 trillion government-spending bill and the $900 billion coronavirus relief package. The bill was backed by both Democrats and Republicans.

The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 calls for the establishment of a U.S. consulate in Lhasa and the absolute right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama. This is the most significant amendment that the TSPA makes it US policy to oppose attempts by Beijing to install its own Dalai Lama.

Relations between China and the US have deteriorated to their worst in decades over a range of issues, including trade, Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the coronavirus. The Tibet Policy and Support Act, passed by the US Senate bookends a turbulent year in US-China relations.