Wrong stance on Tibet hinders ties with China

BEIJING, March 5 -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the quashing of

the Dalai Lama-led revolt in the Tibet Autonomous Region and subsequent

beginning of democratic reform. Over the past five decades, Tibetans have bid

farewell to feudal serfdom and entered a modern democratic era.

However, some Westerners long harboring ill intentions toward China have

taken advantage of the Tibet issue in an attempt to force their misconceptions

upon China. It is known that the Tibet issue is in essence not an issue of

ethnicity, religion or human rights, but one of several Western infringements on

China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and core national interests. Western

nations should recognize that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and stop

intervening if they want to remain on good terms with China.

Tibet has always been part of China and only became an issue when Western

nations jumped on the bandwagon of the Dalai Lam and his supporters.

As early as the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Western powers began to

covet China's Tibet region. The Empire of Britain invaded Tibet by force during

the late 19th century and fostered a pro-British force in the region to support

separatist activities.

To seek an excuse for its long-term invasion of Tibet, the then British

government signed with Russia an agreement and put forward the concept of

Tibet's suzerainty. This has since provided the Western world with an excuse for

denying China's sovereignty over Tibet.

For the past 100 years, the Tibet issue has constituted an infringement on

China's sovereignty, with Western attempts to split it from China.

In the early 1950s, the United States did its utmost to stop Tibet's

peaceful revolution. In November 1950, the then US Secretary of State Dean

Acheson openly labeled China's liberation of Tibet, its own territory, as an

aggressive action. In the mid-1950s, the US began to offer the Dalai Lama clique

arms and military training for armed revolts and separatist activities against

the motherland.

For many years, the Western world pedaled its distortions on Tibet. In

October 1959, the U.S.-dominated UN passed a resolution on the issue, grossly

intervening in China's internal affairs. In May 1991, the U.S. Senate passed a

bill, classifying Tibet as an occupied country. In October 1997, the U.S.

administration appointed a so-called special coordinator on Tibet to strengthen

its connections with the Dalai Lama clique.

The wrong stance on the Tibet issue by some Westerners is mainly attributed

to their misconceptions. It is an indisputable fact Tibet has been part of China

since ancient times. All Chinese people, including Tibetan compatriots, have

never denied this. However, some Westerners typically have chosen to turn a

blind eye to historical fact in their history books, documentaries and films.

In the past century, some Western countries have actually used Tibet as a

tool to contain China's reemergence. The "Tibet issue" is a trump played by the

West against China, as one European newspaper put it.

After the founding of New China in 1949, the U.S. implemented a

"maneuvering Tibet against China" strategy. In the 1950s and 60s, Tibetan

separatists always served as the puppets of the Cold War. Ever since it ended,

the Dalai Lama clique has been retained as a tool for bashing China.

In recent years, China's development has given rise to anxiety and fear

among some Westerners. As some Western countries strained under the pressures of

economic, political and social crises, they began to play the "Tibetan card" in

an attempt to contain China, divert domestic focus and gain popular support.

In the past 50 years, China has told the world in a steadfast attitude that

it is impossible for Tibet to pursue independence, semi-independence or de facto

independence. The country's 56 ethnic groups, including Tibetans, will never

succumb to any separatist attempts. China will never give up its ground on

issues related to its sovereignty.

With China's status rising on the world stage and contacts deepening with

the rest of the world, Western ideas about Tibet are also changing. In 2008,

British Foreign Minster David Miliband declared that the United Kingdom

acknowledged China's sovereignty over Tibet.

As lies supporting Tibet separatism become less influential, China's

standpoint has gained extensive understanding and backing. During the 48th UN

Human Rights Council meeting in 1992, China succeeded in foiling a so-called

Tibet bill, further squeezing the room for Tibetan separatists.

In recent years, more and more foreigners have come to China and visited

the sacred Tibetan plateau. They have beheld the joyous and peaceful life of the

Tibetan people, as well as the booming economy there. This has helped them form

a deeper understanding of the Chinese government's position.

Relations between China and the rest of the world have experienced a

historic transition. China's development is now tied to the world's, while the

rest of the world also needs greater cooperation with China. It is impossible

for any Western country to not interact with China. However, it is impossible

for the West to cooperate with China unless it develops an objective and

unbiased stance on Tibet.

(Source: People's Daily)