By Eleanor Albert
Last week, China’s leaders met at a conference to develop an economic strategy that will expand Tibet’s economy and as a result establish lasting stability in the region. Such efforts reflect the intentions of Chinese leadership turning to means other than physical intervention and crackdowns to bring stability to the volatile region.
Xinhua news agency, the media voice of the party, reported that the government said “more efforts must be made to greatly improve living standards of the people in Tibet, as well as ethnic unity and stability.”
The protests and violence that plague regionally autonomous Tibet persist (most recently the large uprising in 2008) and accordingly the international eye maintains its criticism of Chinese policy in the area, the United States leading the criticism on China’s approach to human rights.
The Chinese governance system has long relied on and placed tremendous importance on the concept of unity and stability within the nation’s borders. The primary concern in China’s national security interests is first and foremost the survival and stability of nation. Under the rule of Chinese Communist Party, the state, the party, and the regime function as one complete entity and thus, for the government to maintain the country’s core values and national stability, the security of the regime must be ingrained within security interests. One of the most widespread challenges to the China’s security is the fervent presence of separatist forces – particularly from Tibet.
While Tibetan ethnic nationalism is at the heart of the instability, economic opportunity takes precedence as the greatest concern for the Chinese people, Tibetan, Han, Uighurs, or otherwise. China developed at extraordinary rate. In spite of the government’s attempts at distributing the economic growth and technological development, the sheer size of the country, geographic diversity, and varying demographic severely impeded China’s ability to develop in a balanced and even manner.
The intent of further investing in Tibet’s economy has significant potential in easing tensions. By devoting capital and effort to economic development, the government seeks to provide Tibet with access to enhanced economic opportunity in hopes that Tibet will in turn diminish the separatist efforts. This strategy, if correctly implemented, could benefit both Tibet and the People’s Republic of China.
It is a common misinterpretation by the West – with many outspoken organizations and citizens that have liked to the cause of the Tibet – that Tibet seeks independence. The Dalai Lama himself has stated that Tibet does not want freedom from the PRC, but rather full autonomy without added sanctions and restrictions from Beijing.
Chinese military intervention for the suppression of protest and violence on a small level are naturally not the preferred policies in the eyes of the international community. From the Chinese perspective, Tibet and all tension and instability that may arise are strictly domestic issues and China alone determines the course of action in the autonomous region. Nevertheless, China finds itself under the scrutiny of the developed world as China takes a larger role in international community and to project their legitimacy as a major world power, alternative policy to establish stability are much desired. Thus, the pursuit of economic development programs to resolve instability in Tibet is a differing policy approach that has promise in alleviating tension in Tibet and will hopefully be respected and noted by the international community.
