By David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration’s move to defund Radio Free Asia and Voice of America is creating an information void in Chinese-ruled Tibet, the head of the Tibetan government in exile said on Wednesday, adding that he hoped the funding could be restored.
Penpa Tsering told Washington’s National Press Club the U.S. stations, which have been persistent thorns in Beijing’s side, had played a vital role, including in conveying American values to Tibetans.
“People are feeling the void already. From within Tibet, we receive messages, like – they can’t say directly, so they are saying, ‘we are missing our morning tea,'” Tsering said.
“So we are still hoping that there would be some space for the funding of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which are very, very essential tools for information dissemination within Tibet.”
Rights activists say VOA and RFA have highlighted abuses by China against minorities, including Tibetans and Uyghur Muslims.
President Donald Trump’s critics call defunding the stations a strategic blunder in U.S. competition with China, which has poured billions of dollars into pushing Beijing’s narrative.
Tsering welcomed the restoration of $6.8 million in U.S. funding for Tibetans cut as part of Trump’s “America First” policy that dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“Every penny counts for us,” he said. “Those fundings are very essential, not just to take the Tibetan movement forward, but also keep the Tibetan community intact.”
On Wednesday, Radio Free Asia said it would halt all news production from Friday due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and delay in receiving funding for the new fiscal year.
RFA President and CEO Bay Fang called it a cost-saving plan to help sustain the organization should funding resume.
Tsering spoke ahead of talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday expected to focus on securing a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies and geopolitical rivals.
Asked for his message to global leaders in dealing with China, Tsering said: “Don’t just think about the short-term benefits of doing business with China, but the long-term interests of your own country.”
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and Daniel Wallis)
