The sweeping and lightning control of Afghanistan established by the Taliban during the past few days has injected a new significance into the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the takeover of Tibet by China through the invasion by the People’s Liberation Army. China, which has always remained in touch with the Taliban, has been one of the first nations to suggest that it will be willing to officially accept the Taliban government. China would need the support of the Taliban in keeping fundamentalist forces from creating trouble in the Xinjiang region where China has incarcerated more than a million Uyghur Moslems. The development in Afghanistan, China seemingly fears, might give a fillip to resistance movements by religious minorities in its Xinjiang province and Tibet. The top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party has already held talks with a Taliban delegation, led by key leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in China.
Tibet is important to the Chinese scheme of things as the religious head of the Buddhists in Tibet, the Dalai Lama, commands global respect for his untiring efforts to retain the religious and cultural freedom of Tibetans even within the framework of Chinese rule. This is the reason why a senior Chinese official emphasised at an event that all Tibetans should embrace the Communist party rule and share the “cultural symbols and images of the Chinese nation.” Wang Yang, a member of the politburo standing committee, China’s most powerful political body, made the remarks during a ceremony marked by extravaganza and glorification of the leadership of President Xi Jinping in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the sacred home of Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leaders. Propagandists in the 1950s and 1960s used to extensively display Mao Zedong’s portraits at rallies and celebrations to promote a personality cult around him. However, most leaders after Mao eschewed the practice. This is now being revived to help Xi consolidate his position in all parts of China.
Accordingly, China’s official media has reported in detail Wang’s claim that all religions in China were “Chinese in orientation.” He appealed to Tibetans to make sure Tibetan Buddhism gets guidance in adapting to the socialist system. He chose the occasion to send the message to religious minorities in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. In these three regions, repression and punitive measures are reportedly resorted to regularly to reduce the presence of local languages and cultures and also deal with separatist activities with an iron hand. In Tibet, authorities have allegedly jailed and beaten monks and nuns, subjected villages to political education sessions, imposed restrictions on daily life, including education and jobs, and mounted mass surveillance. Mandarin is being forcibly promoted as the medium of instruction in Tibetan schools, while the Tibetan language is taught merely as a subject. This is apparently intended to erase Tibetan culture.
The 70th anniversary has been taken very seriously in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to stem the tide of religious upsurge within Chinese regions. The anxiety of the Chinese leadership was reflected in the planning of the event attended by 10,000 select people. The CPC’s position on the invasion and takeover of Tibet is that it was a peaceful liberation of Tibetans from an oppressive theocracy practised by the Dalai Lama. The event was, predictably, showcased as a gala affair through live coverage for both the national and international audience. A massive four-storey portrait of Xi Jinping was put up at the venue. In fact, Xi’s recent visit to Tibet was the first ever by any Chinese President. It also seemed to send the message to India about China’s intentions to mobilise its forces and strategic powers close to Indian borders from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
China has launched a massive propaganda on its “achievement” in transforming Tibet from a “medieval, exploitative society” to a modern, socialist system. Its official media claims Tibet today has entered a stage of rapid economic development and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it has registered GDP growth of 9 per cent. It showcases the numerous modern residential buildings, shopping malls, trendy bars, Tibetan-style night clubs, restaurants, theatres, museums, and art galleries in Lhasa as visible signs of the growth story.
China is also reportedly worried over a leadership change in the Tibetan government in-exile operated from Dharamshala. Penpa Tsering, former speaker of the “parliament-in-exile,” was declared in May the Sikyong, i.e. the leader of the “Central Tibetan Administration.” He took over from Lobsang Sangay, who had served in the position for 10 years. China calculates the new leadership will continue to seek Tibetan independence aggressively.
Apart from keeping its hold strong on Tibet, China has lofty plans to get a grip on Afghanistan after the exit of the United States. Instead of a military approach, as practised by the US, China wants to induce the Taliban to cooperate by offering legitimacy and financial support to its government. Russia is already towing the Chinese line in relation to Afghanistan, as also Pakistan and Iran. India, considered a US ally, needs to tread softly and strategically in this changing scenario in its neighbourhood.