Xi Jinping’s Tibet Visit Raises Alarm Over Mega-Dam and Cultural Crackdown
Xi visits Tibet for anniversary, sparking concerns over dam project, border tensions, and cultural control.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a grand ceremony at Potala Palace Square in Lhasa to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), established by China in 1965 after its annexation in 1950. Joined by approximately 20,000 local officials and residents, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission, used the event to underscore Beijing’s authority and push for the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism, aligning it with socialist principles, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. This visit, Xi’s second to Tibet since taking power in 2012, makes him the first Chinese president to visit the region twice.
Xi’s speech emphasized political stability, ethnic unity, and major infrastructure projects, including the $167.8 billion Yarlung Tsangpo mega-dam on the Brahmaputra River near India’s Arunachal Pradesh border and the Sichuan-Xizang Railway, parts of which run close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
These projects, described as critical for Tibet’s development, have raised concerns in India and Bangladesh over potential environmental and geopolitical impacts. Human rights groups criticized the visit as an attempt to mask ongoing restrictions on Tibetan culture, language, and religious practices, intensified since the 2008 unrest, with measures like monastery demolitions and mandatory Mandarin boarding schools for Tibetan children.
The event, set against the historic Potala Palace—once the Dalai Lama’s winter residence until his 1959 exile to India—highlighted Beijing’s rejection of the Dalai Lama’s succession plans, with China insisting on approving his reincarnation. Exiled Tibetans, including the International Campaign for Tibet, condemned the celebrations as a “painful reminder” of China’s control, alleging increased repression, including house arrests and restricted access to sacred sites like the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple during Xi’s visit.
Xi’s call for a “modern socialist” Tibet underscores Beijing’s focus on integration, but critics argue it erodes Tibetan identity, fueling global debate over the region’s future.
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