On October 17, the US Congress "awarded" the Dalai Lama so-called Congressional Gold Medal at the Capitol in Washington. The US President Bush and several Congressmen were present and made remarks. The move of the US is a blatant interference with China's internal affairs, which has severely hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and gravely undermined the relationship between China and the US. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi summoned US Ambassador Randt on October 18 and expressed strong protest on behalf of the Chinese Government.

Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. Issues of Tibet are totally internal affairs of China. China is opposed to any interference with China's domestic affairs by any country or any individual by taking the advantage of the Dalai Lama issue. The words and deeds of the Dalai Lama for the past decades make it evident that he is a political exile bent on engaging in activities aimed at splitting the motherland under the robe of religion. The US Congress awarding a medal to him and US leadership attending the occasion and meeting with him gravely violate fundamental norms governing international relations and the position repeated by the US Government on many occasions to recognize Tibet as an inseparable part of the Chinese territory. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition. The Chinese people have a solid resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any attempt to interfere with China's own affairs by using the Dalai Lama issue is doomed to failure.

China urges the US to take effective measures immediately to remove the terrible impact of its erroneous act, cease supporting and conniving at the separatist activities of the Tibet Independence forces, stop interfering with China's internal affairs and take concrete steps to protect China-US relationship.