Zeya has a long history of challenging human rights abuses in China; particularly in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong. In her position as Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor during the Obama administration, a report was published under her direction on the human rights situation in China which read:

Repression and coercion of organizations and individuals involved in civil and political rights advocacy as well as in public interest and ethnic minority issues remained severe…Official repression of the freedoms of speech, religion, movement, association, and assembly of Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas and of Uighurs in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) continued and were more severe than in other areas of the country.

The Bureau’s report on international religious freedom also criticized the Chinese government for discriminating against Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists:

The government cited concerns over the “three evils” of “ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism” as grounds to enact and enforce restrictions on religious practices of Uighur Muslims…Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists reported severe societal discrimination in employment, housing, and business opportunities.

In her Senate confirmation hearing on April 15, 2021, Zeya testified that:

The Chinese government is perpetrating genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang while strangling autonomy in Hong Kong and continuing to suppress Tibetans, Christians, and other religious and ethnic minorities…the United States needs to take on the China challenge – what Secretary Blinken has called our greatest geostrategic test – from a position of strength, anchored in America’s support for human rights and democratic values.

Zeya has yet to publicly comment on China since taking her most recent office as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. She did, however, draw a distinction between the U.S. and Chinese governments in a press conference in advance of the Summit for Democracy in November, 2021. When asked if China and Russia’s absence meant that the summit was asking the world to choose between democracy and autocracy, Zeya answered:

This summit is not about taking sides…It’s about an affirmative agenda with fellow democracies to lead by example, to learn from one another, to demonstrate how and why democracies are working to deliver for their people. I think it’s important to note that data shows that free and democratic societies have healthier citizens, less violent conflict, and more prosperous communities.  And we, as a government, promote adherence to democratic norms internationally so that people around the world can benefit from democracy, not just the people in the United States or the people of one region or one group.