Phayul Newsdesk’s Choekyi Lhamo reports on Richard Gere’s appearance before a Senate subcommittee to testify on the effects of censorship from China and mentions Beth Baltzan of Open Markets Institute appearing as a witness.

DHARAMSHALA: Noted Hollywood actor and the chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Richard Gere spoke before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday about the impact of Chinese censorship on US economic interests, and especially on Tibet. The social activist and long time friend of Tibet was among the four witnesses called for the hearing on “Censorship as Non-Tariff Barrier to Trade” held by the Senate Finance Committee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness.

The subcommittee’s chairman, John Cornyn, and member Bob Casey led the hearing. Richard Gere emphasized that China’s censorship works through its refusal to give American journalists, businesses and citizens the same degree of access to China that Chinese counterparts enjoy in the US.

Noting that America has supported the Tibetan people and its Buddhist culture, he said, “The Chinese government highly restricts access to Tibet for Americans—including journalist and politicians—like no other areas of China, while Chinese citizens face no such limitations when they visit the US. They go where they want.”

Gere lauded the Congress for passing the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act in 2018 which requires the Statement Department to sanction Chinese officials directly responsible for keeping American citizens out of Tibet. He hopes that RATA will be implemented soon as it is mandated by the law.

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