By Uyghur Times Staff
July 2, 2025 | Dharamshala, India
The United States has lifted its earlier aid cuts to the Tibetan exile community and restored $7 million in support for health, education, and related initiatives, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Penpa Tsering, announced on Wednesday.
Image Credit: VOT Social
The decision comes after years of diplomatic engagement by Tibetan leaders following the Trump administration’s initial move to slash foreign aid under its “America First” policy in 2017. That policy led to sweeping reductions in U.S. international assistance programs, including those that supported vulnerable communities around the world.
Speaking at the sidelines of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala, Tsering stated, “I’m happy to inform you that the U.S. government has decided to lift the termination.” He noted that the CTA received formal notice of the restored funding only two days ago.
Tsering acknowledged that the aid cut had slowed the CTA’s momentum in its projects. “We did manage to get stop-gap arrangements from other governments. Also, we’ll be looking to diversify our sources in the future,” he said.
The renewed U.S. support underscores Washington’s continued commitment to the Tibetan cause. Despite Beijing’s stance labeling the Dalai Lama as a separatist, U.S. lawmakers have remained firm in their position that China should not interfere in the Dalai Lama’s succession.
In a message to his global followers, the elderly Dalai Lama reaffirmed on Wednesday that he would reincarnate after his passing and outlined a succession process that is expected to directly challenge China’s claims of authority over his future reincarnation.
The spiritual leader fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has since lived in exile in India. Successive U.S. administrations have expressed support for the rights of Tibetans and rejected China’s attempts to control Tibetan religious and political affairs.