Washington | China's hegemonic actions in Tibet are a template for what it plans to do to the international community, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the political leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said.

Tsering is in the US to meet officials in the Trump administration as well as US Congressional leaders who are considering the Assuring the Future of Tibet Act (AFTA) of 2026 that seeks to recognise the Central Tibetan Administration as the democratically elected government of the Tibetan people.

During his meetings with the US leadership, Tsering voiced concerns over China's attempts to erase the Tibetan identity through what he termed "cultural genocide".

"So, what I keep saying is what China is doing in Tibet is a template for what they do want to do to the international community. China's hegemonism started with Tibet in 1950. Now it's extending to the East China Sea, South China Sea," Tsering told PTI here.

The Tibetan leader cited China's boundary dispute with India, its growing ambitions in the South China Sea, and its aggressive approach towards Japan as an attempt by Beijing to create leverage that can be used to its advantage.

"China is very good at creating leverages for their own benefit. If there's something they don't want to resolve, they don't resolve it," Tsering said.

Tsering claimed that China was furthering false narratives about its peaceful rise in the global order by glossing over its testy relationship with Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia.

He said the situation inside Tibet continues to be very grim and Tibetans are dying a slow death.

Tsering said there were restrictions on Tibetan-language signage, changes in designs of monasteries, and imposition of Chinese culture on Tibetans.

"It is like being constricted by not the python, but the dragon, slowly but surely. So it amounts to a certain level of genocide, or at least cultural genocide," Tsering said.

The Tibetan leader said the world was staying silent to Chinese actions in Tibet and engaging in increasing trade relations with Beijing.

"What does China gain by destroying an old civilisation like Tibet? Its language. The script came from India in the 7th century from the Devanagari script. Buddhism also came from India. Now China claims that Tibetan Buddhism came from China," Tsering said.

At the same time, Tsering said, the US remained Tibet's most important international partner and the cause enjoyed strong bipartisan backing in Congress.