US ambassador in China makes rare visit to Tibet

China, which granted a rare permit for US Ambassador Terry Branstad to visit Tibet, on Monday hoped that the American envoy would make an "unbiased judgement" about the conditions in the Himalayan region especially on religion and the Tibetan culture.

Branstad was travelling to China's Qinhai province and the bordering Tibet Autonomous Region from May 19 to May 25, making the first trip by an American envoy to the highly restricted area in four years.

During his visit, Branstad is due to have meetings with local officials and visit religious and cultural heritage sites.