Tibetan lawmaker meets with US counterpart

US Congressman David Valadao (left) meets with ShingtsaTenzinchodrak (right), Tibetan deputy to China's National People's Congress, on April 8 at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. Lia Zhu/China Daily.

A Tibetan deputy of China's top legislature met on Wednesday with US Congressman David Valadao in San Francisco to promote relations between China and the US.

ShingtsaTenzinchodrak, head of a three-member delegation of the National People's Congress (NPC) and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday on a mission to enhance exchanges and understanding between the Chinese and American people.

During their meeting at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, ShingtsaTenzinchodrak told Valadaothat this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet autonomous region and that dramatic achievements have been made in that half century.

"Fundamental changes have taken place in people's livelihoods, healthcare, employment and environmental protection with the help of the central government and the other provinces," said the Tibet legislator, who is also a living Buddha of the Kagyu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

China's leaders are focused on Tibet's developmentat a time when the region is enjoying major opportunities for economic and social development, he said.

In 2014, the gross domestic product of Tibet reached 92.5 billion yuan ($14.9 billion), realizing a year-on-year growth of 12 percent and representing a double-digit growth rate for the 21st consecutive year.

Valadao, who represents California's 21st congressional district, welcomed the delegation and expressed his interest in learning more about Tibet.

He told the Tibetan lawmaker that his congressional district was agriculturally rich and he himself was active in the dairy industry.

The farmers in his district export a large amount of farm products such as walnuts, almonds, cherries and strawberries to China every year, said Valadao, whose district includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties. Fresno County is among the most agriculturally rich counties in the nation, with top exported commodities of oranges, almonds, raisins and cotton.

Valadaosaidthat China was one the most important trading partners of California and that the two sides have achieved rapid development in economic cooperation.

He said he would work to promote further communication and cooperation between the enterprises in his district and their Chinese counterparts.

ShingtsaTenzinchodrak, on his second trip overseas following his first one to Canada in 2009, is also tasked withintroducing the real Tibetto Americans by dispellingtheir misunderstandings of the western region of China.

Since the NPC sent its first delegation of Tibetan deputies on an overseas tour in 2009, a total of 10 such delegations have visited the US, Canada, Brazil and other countries.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com