Well, China and Tibet are kind of remote to us here in the U.S., so I'd say that only those who have studied the situation closely (and that may or may not include Richard Gere) are qualified to speak on the issue.
However, I think that American entertainers such as G. Garofalo, B. Springsteen, Natalie Maines, and (for a little balance I'll throw in) Toby Keith are just as qualified to speak on "American issues" --- such as whether or not we should have invaded Iraq --- as most of the blowhard pundits that clutter my TV screen.