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China Tibet: What is the significance of the peaceful liberation of Tibet?
Zhu Weiqun: The peaceful liberation of Tibet is an important part of the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation led by the Communist Party of China(CPC). It is also a great event in the Chinese nation’s more than 100 years’ struggle to safeguard national unity and sovereignty.
In October 1950, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) liberated Qamdo, thwarting the scheme of a few upper-class Tibetans who attempted to prevent Tibet’s liberation. With the support of foreign forces and using the Jinsha River as a natural defense, this small group of Tibetans had attempted to stall the march of the PLA.
After the PLA’s victory in the Qamdo Battle, the local government of Tibet headed by the 14th Dalai Lama decided to send a delegation to Beijing for peace talks. After nearly one month of negotiations, on May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (“17-Article Agreement” for short) was signed. Tibet was peacefully liberated.
The peaceful liberation of Tibet completed the liberation and unification of China’s mainland and was a victory over imperialist forces and a few upper-class Tibetans who wished to split Tibet from China.
Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times. From the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), the then Chinese Central Government has exercised direct and effective jurisdiction over Tibet. Western imperialists had coveted the occupation of Tibet from the early 20th century. British imperialists launched two military invasions of Tibet in 1888 and 1904 respectively, and occupied Tibet in 1904. However, they found military means alone were not enough to split Tibet from China, as the local government of Tibet and Tibetan people were loyal to the Chinese Central Government. Therefore, British imperialists started to foster pro-British sentiments among a few upper-class Tibetans. The British encouraged these Tibetans to engage in “proindependence” activities.
Before the British military invasions of Tibet, there was no word for “independence” in the Tibetan language. So the very concept of “Tibet independence” was actually introduced to the region by Western colonialists.
When the Chinese People’s Liberation War(1945-49) was about to succeed, American and British imperialists, as well as a few upperclass Tibetans, realizing that they would likely lose their last chance to achieve “Tibet independence,” initiated a series of splittist events including the expulsion of the Han Chinese from Tibet.
These separatist elements sought to turn“Tibet independence” into an established fact before the arrival of the CPC. But their scheme was shattered following the PLA’s triumph in the Qamdo Battle, the signing of the 17-Article Agreement and the PLA’s peaceful entry into Tibet.
The peaceful liberation of Tibet laid the foundation for the Democratic Reform of Tibet, launched eight years later, which marked the region’s transformation from a society of feudal serfdom to one of socialism.
Given the specific conditions that existed in Tibet, the 17-Article Agreement states, “The central authorities will not alter the existing political system in Tibet. The central authorities also will not alter the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama. Officials of various ranks shall hold office as usual.” It also says, “In matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no compulsion on the part of the central authorities. The local government of Tibet should carry out reforms on its own accord, and when the people raise demands for reform, they shall be settled by means of consultation with the leading personnel of Tibet.”
The Central Government fulfilled its promises, but a few upper-class Tibetans did not want any reforms at all and waged an armed rebellion in 1959. After the rebellion was foiled, the Democratic Reform in Tibet was implemented ahead of schedule. The arrival of CPC cadres and PLA troops
following the peaceful liberation allowed Tibetan people to learn about the positive policies adopted by the CPC. The first eight years after the peaceful liberation saw the maturing of social conditions in Tibet. Public support for reforms grew as did the number of capable cadres in the region. The peoples’ strong desire for change made the Democratic Reform achievable.
The 14th Dalai Lama originally agreed with and supported the signing of the 17-Article Agreement, but later he broke his promise and fled abroad to engage in separatist activities. What’s your comment?
The 14th Dalai Lama was only 16 years old and had just assumed power when the 17-Article Agreement was signed. Acknowledging the situation and influenced by patriotic upper-class Tibetans, such as Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme and the 10th Panchen Lama, he decided to assign delegates to negotiate with the Central Government in Beijing.
After the agreement was signed, the 14th Dalai Lama openly declared that he accepted the 17-Article Agreement on behalf of the local government of Tibet. In a telegram to Chairman Mao Zedong, he said, “The local government of Tibet as well as the ecclesiastical and secular people unanimously support this agreement, and, under the leadership of Chairman Mao and the Central People’s Government, will actively assist the PLA troops entering Tibet to consolidate national defense, ousting imperialist influences from Tibet and safeguarding the unification of the territory and the sovereignty of the motherland.” The decision turned out to be one of the 14th Dalai Lama’s correct decisions.
The Central Government highly recognized the role of the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet’s peaceful liberation. In 1954, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai met with him several times when he attended the First Session of the First National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body. At the session, he was elected vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC. The position was preserved for him until 1964 after he fled abroad in 1959. Initially the Central Government said that the Dalai Lama’s flight was a forced escape, given his personal reputation.
Unfortunately, it was the 14th Dalai Lama himself who tarnished his own reputation. In 1959, after a failed armed rebellion staged by a few upper-class Tibetans, he fled abroad, tearing up the 17-Article Agreement en route. More than 50 years have passed since then.
What measures have the Central Government taken to boost Tibet’s development?
Tibet is the only provincial-level autonomous region for which the Central Government has held five developmentcentered work conferences since the implementation of the reform and openingup policy in the late 1970s.
First of all, Tibet is located at a highaltitude, with extremely harsh natural conditions. This presents a particular barrier to Tibet’s economic and social develop- ment. Second, for long periods in history, Tibet was ruled under a theocratic feudal serfdom, which impeded its development. So following its peaceful liberation, its level of development was far behind inland areas of China. Third, the Dalai clique, under the support of anti-China Western forces, has always conspired to split Tibet from China. Fourth, Tibet in southwest China shares long borders with South Asian countries. The stability and development of Tibet are important as it allows China to maintain friendly, cooperative and mutually beneficial relations with those countries.
Both the Central Government and ordinary people are fully aware of the situation. So they are determined to stick to the policy of mobilizing national resources to support the development of Tibet.
For example, the third work conference on Tibet in 1994 launched a partnership assistance program, which assigned Central Government departments in 15 provinces and municipalities to build 62 key aid projects in Tibet. In 2001, the fourth work conference on Tibet decided to extend the duration of the partnership assistance program from 10 years to 20 years, and widened the scope of the program, involving 59 Central Government departments. Other provinces and autonomous regions have also contributed to Tibet’s development. During the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), aid to Tibet amounted to 7.6 billion yuan ($1.18 billion). The fifth work conference on Tibet in 2010 required all aid-providing provinces and municipalities to allocate no less than
one thousandth of their disposable annual revenue to support the development of Tibet. This measure has been fully implemented by all the regions concerned.
The 3 million Tibetans who receive aid from other parts of China have contributed to national unity and development.
People of different ethnic groups living in Tibet from ancient times have developed a unique and valuable culture. They are also guardians of a vast 1.2-million-squarekm territory in the southwestern part of China. In the 60 years since the peaceful liberation of the region, Tibet has remained stable and experienced steady economic growth. Today the region is an important defense and ecological shield for the country, a reserve of strategic resources, and producer of highland agricultural crops. It is also a world-renowned tourist destination and one of China’s ethnic culture protection zones.
How do you recognize traditional Tibetan culture?
Traditional Tibetan culture is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. For thousands of years, Tibetan culture has co- existed with inland culture. The two cultures have borrowed extensively from each other.
For example, the golden roof and bracket building style (a system of brackets inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam) of the Potala Palace and several other famous monasteries in Lhasa are clearly borrowed from architectural styles used in inland areas of China. The painting, dance, sculpture, medicine, calendar and religion of Tibet have also been influenced greatly by inland culture.
Tibetan culture has also continuously instilled vigor to mainstream Chinese culture.
Having incorporated South Asian, and indigenous highland elements, Tibet’s own culture is very distinctive, and Tibetan and Chinese culture have been drawn to each other for centuries.
How is it possible to develop Tibetan culture in a modern context?
It is a universal law that culture evolves with social and economic development. What is called “traditional Tibetan culture”is sure to progress with the times and the improvement of people’s livelihoods.
Traditional Tibetan culture has many centuries of history and inevitably shows the imprints of the region’s feudal past. These feudal elements must be abandoned as Tibet’s society develops but the positive elements of Tibetan culture should be retained and carried forward.
New cultural programs and art forms have been created to reflect Tibet’s modernization and to meet public demand.
Some Westerners claim ancient Tibetan culture is incomparably sacred and oppose any change to it, but this logic will render Tibet a cultural fossil, a place for privileged Westerners to gawk at.
Meanwhile, the Dalai clique has spread the rumor about a “Tibetan cultural genocide,” with the aim to recover the cultural privileges they used to enjoy under the feudal system.
China’s rapid development has provided Tibetan culture with conditions in which it can flourish. In such fields as publishing, radio and TV broadcasts, photography, fine arts, music and costumes, new cultural forms are evolving by integrating modern technology and ideas with traditional elements. All this vibrancy was impossible in the stagnant old Tibet.
Zhu Weiqun: The peaceful liberation of Tibet is an important part of the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation led by the Communist Party of China(CPC). It is also a great event in the Chinese nation’s more than 100 years’ struggle to safeguard national unity and sovereignty.
In October 1950, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) liberated Qamdo, thwarting the scheme of a few upper-class Tibetans who attempted to prevent Tibet’s liberation. With the support of foreign forces and using the Jinsha River as a natural defense, this small group of Tibetans had attempted to stall the march of the PLA.
After the PLA’s victory in the Qamdo Battle, the local government of Tibet headed by the 14th Dalai Lama decided to send a delegation to Beijing for peace talks. After nearly one month of negotiations, on May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (“17-Article Agreement” for short) was signed. Tibet was peacefully liberated.
The peaceful liberation of Tibet completed the liberation and unification of China’s mainland and was a victory over imperialist forces and a few upper-class Tibetans who wished to split Tibet from China.
Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times. From the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), the then Chinese Central Government has exercised direct and effective jurisdiction over Tibet. Western imperialists had coveted the occupation of Tibet from the early 20th century. British imperialists launched two military invasions of Tibet in 1888 and 1904 respectively, and occupied Tibet in 1904. However, they found military means alone were not enough to split Tibet from China, as the local government of Tibet and Tibetan people were loyal to the Chinese Central Government. Therefore, British imperialists started to foster pro-British sentiments among a few upper-class Tibetans. The British encouraged these Tibetans to engage in “proindependence” activities.
Before the British military invasions of Tibet, there was no word for “independence” in the Tibetan language. So the very concept of “Tibet independence” was actually introduced to the region by Western colonialists.
When the Chinese People’s Liberation War(1945-49) was about to succeed, American and British imperialists, as well as a few upperclass Tibetans, realizing that they would likely lose their last chance to achieve “Tibet independence,” initiated a series of splittist events including the expulsion of the Han Chinese from Tibet.
These separatist elements sought to turn“Tibet independence” into an established fact before the arrival of the CPC. But their scheme was shattered following the PLA’s triumph in the Qamdo Battle, the signing of the 17-Article Agreement and the PLA’s peaceful entry into Tibet.
The peaceful liberation of Tibet laid the foundation for the Democratic Reform of Tibet, launched eight years later, which marked the region’s transformation from a society of feudal serfdom to one of socialism.
Given the specific conditions that existed in Tibet, the 17-Article Agreement states, “The central authorities will not alter the existing political system in Tibet. The central authorities also will not alter the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama. Officials of various ranks shall hold office as usual.” It also says, “In matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no compulsion on the part of the central authorities. The local government of Tibet should carry out reforms on its own accord, and when the people raise demands for reform, they shall be settled by means of consultation with the leading personnel of Tibet.”
The Central Government fulfilled its promises, but a few upper-class Tibetans did not want any reforms at all and waged an armed rebellion in 1959. After the rebellion was foiled, the Democratic Reform in Tibet was implemented ahead of schedule. The arrival of CPC cadres and PLA troops
following the peaceful liberation allowed Tibetan people to learn about the positive policies adopted by the CPC. The first eight years after the peaceful liberation saw the maturing of social conditions in Tibet. Public support for reforms grew as did the number of capable cadres in the region. The peoples’ strong desire for change made the Democratic Reform achievable.
The 14th Dalai Lama originally agreed with and supported the signing of the 17-Article Agreement, but later he broke his promise and fled abroad to engage in separatist activities. What’s your comment?
The 14th Dalai Lama was only 16 years old and had just assumed power when the 17-Article Agreement was signed. Acknowledging the situation and influenced by patriotic upper-class Tibetans, such as Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme and the 10th Panchen Lama, he decided to assign delegates to negotiate with the Central Government in Beijing.
After the agreement was signed, the 14th Dalai Lama openly declared that he accepted the 17-Article Agreement on behalf of the local government of Tibet. In a telegram to Chairman Mao Zedong, he said, “The local government of Tibet as well as the ecclesiastical and secular people unanimously support this agreement, and, under the leadership of Chairman Mao and the Central People’s Government, will actively assist the PLA troops entering Tibet to consolidate national defense, ousting imperialist influences from Tibet and safeguarding the unification of the territory and the sovereignty of the motherland.” The decision turned out to be one of the 14th Dalai Lama’s correct decisions.
The Central Government highly recognized the role of the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet’s peaceful liberation. In 1954, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai met with him several times when he attended the First Session of the First National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body. At the session, he was elected vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC. The position was preserved for him until 1964 after he fled abroad in 1959. Initially the Central Government said that the Dalai Lama’s flight was a forced escape, given his personal reputation.
Unfortunately, it was the 14th Dalai Lama himself who tarnished his own reputation. In 1959, after a failed armed rebellion staged by a few upper-class Tibetans, he fled abroad, tearing up the 17-Article Agreement en route. More than 50 years have passed since then.
What measures have the Central Government taken to boost Tibet’s development?
Tibet is the only provincial-level autonomous region for which the Central Government has held five developmentcentered work conferences since the implementation of the reform and openingup policy in the late 1970s.
First of all, Tibet is located at a highaltitude, with extremely harsh natural conditions. This presents a particular barrier to Tibet’s economic and social develop- ment. Second, for long periods in history, Tibet was ruled under a theocratic feudal serfdom, which impeded its development. So following its peaceful liberation, its level of development was far behind inland areas of China. Third, the Dalai clique, under the support of anti-China Western forces, has always conspired to split Tibet from China. Fourth, Tibet in southwest China shares long borders with South Asian countries. The stability and development of Tibet are important as it allows China to maintain friendly, cooperative and mutually beneficial relations with those countries.
Both the Central Government and ordinary people are fully aware of the situation. So they are determined to stick to the policy of mobilizing national resources to support the development of Tibet.
For example, the third work conference on Tibet in 1994 launched a partnership assistance program, which assigned Central Government departments in 15 provinces and municipalities to build 62 key aid projects in Tibet. In 2001, the fourth work conference on Tibet decided to extend the duration of the partnership assistance program from 10 years to 20 years, and widened the scope of the program, involving 59 Central Government departments. Other provinces and autonomous regions have also contributed to Tibet’s development. During the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), aid to Tibet amounted to 7.6 billion yuan ($1.18 billion). The fifth work conference on Tibet in 2010 required all aid-providing provinces and municipalities to allocate no less than
one thousandth of their disposable annual revenue to support the development of Tibet. This measure has been fully implemented by all the regions concerned.
The 3 million Tibetans who receive aid from other parts of China have contributed to national unity and development.
People of different ethnic groups living in Tibet from ancient times have developed a unique and valuable culture. They are also guardians of a vast 1.2-million-squarekm territory in the southwestern part of China. In the 60 years since the peaceful liberation of the region, Tibet has remained stable and experienced steady economic growth. Today the region is an important defense and ecological shield for the country, a reserve of strategic resources, and producer of highland agricultural crops. It is also a world-renowned tourist destination and one of China’s ethnic culture protection zones.
How do you recognize traditional Tibetan culture?
Traditional Tibetan culture is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. For thousands of years, Tibetan culture has co- existed with inland culture. The two cultures have borrowed extensively from each other.
For example, the golden roof and bracket building style (a system of brackets inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam) of the Potala Palace and several other famous monasteries in Lhasa are clearly borrowed from architectural styles used in inland areas of China. The painting, dance, sculpture, medicine, calendar and religion of Tibet have also been influenced greatly by inland culture.
Tibetan culture has also continuously instilled vigor to mainstream Chinese culture.
Having incorporated South Asian, and indigenous highland elements, Tibet’s own culture is very distinctive, and Tibetan and Chinese culture have been drawn to each other for centuries.
How is it possible to develop Tibetan culture in a modern context?
It is a universal law that culture evolves with social and economic development. What is called “traditional Tibetan culture”is sure to progress with the times and the improvement of people’s livelihoods.
Traditional Tibetan culture has many centuries of history and inevitably shows the imprints of the region’s feudal past. These feudal elements must be abandoned as Tibet’s society develops but the positive elements of Tibetan culture should be retained and carried forward.
New cultural programs and art forms have been created to reflect Tibet’s modernization and to meet public demand.
Some Westerners claim ancient Tibetan culture is incomparably sacred and oppose any change to it, but this logic will render Tibet a cultural fossil, a place for privileged Westerners to gawk at.
Meanwhile, the Dalai clique has spread the rumor about a “Tibetan cultural genocide,” with the aim to recover the cultural privileges they used to enjoy under the feudal system.
China’s rapid development has provided Tibetan culture with conditions in which it can flourish. In such fields as publishing, radio and TV broadcasts, photography, fine arts, music and costumes, new cultural forms are evolving by integrating modern technology and ideas with traditional elements. All this vibrancy was impossible in the stagnant old Tibet.