Chinese state media actor calls AOC an ‘idiot’ and ‘ignorant joke’ for calling for free Tibet

Ocasio-Cortez noting that her district has a large number of ethnic Tibetan residents, criticized the Chinese government for their "gross human rights abuses" against Tibetans.

Chen Weihua, China Daily's EU Bureau Chief with a prominent Twitter presence, responded to Ocasio-Cortez's comments by calling her "an idiot."

"Such an idiot AOC. Just you in case you are so ignorant. The truth: 99-100 percent of Tibetans speak their own language," Chen said, and compared that number to the number of Native Americans who still speak their own languages.

"Why Americans keep electing such ignorant joke into Congress? AOC talks like Absurd Ominous Clown," he said in another tweet.

Tibet, which has long been within China's sphere of influence or under direct control, was conquered by the communist Chinese government in 1951.

The uprising which Ocasio-Cortez referred to is the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, during which tens of thousands of Tibetans were 'eliminated' by the Chinese authorities.

Since then, the Chinese authorities have taken measures to suppress Tibetan culture and society. Some have described the Chinese government's measures as "Sinicization," while others have described it as a "cultural genocide."

Measures included in the Chinese government's suppression of Tibetan culture includes the destruction of religious sites, and the general suppression of Buddhist religious activities. Tibetan children are often taken from their families and sent to boarding schools across China where they are taught Chinese culture.