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On January 7, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China. According to Chinese authorities, 126 people were killed and 188 injured (some sources suggest the number could be as high as 337) so far. The Chinese government responded to the tragedy by sending rescue teams to the affected areas to save victims. Given that human life is paramount, the immediate response from the Chinese government is not subject to criticism.

At the same time, the Chinese government has widely broadcasted images of the rescue scenes through state media outlets like CCTV and the People’s Daily. Beijing has also dared to use the term “Xinjiang” instead of “Tibet” when describing this catastrophe. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is even exploiting the recent natural disaster to strengthen its effective control over Tibet. What exactly does Beijing’s policy to expand its control over Tibet entail? Some of these measures are currently being implemented in France, and the country remains indifferent to the issue of foreign intervention.

Effective Control of Tibet by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

First, it is necessary to examine the history of the effective control exerted by the CCP government over Tibet. Tibet has been an independent country for a long time, but under communist rule, China invaded Tibet in 1950, and it was occupied by China in 1951. The CCP regime dispatched the People’s Liberation Army to crush Tibetan resistance and massacred many Tibetans.

In 1959, a Tibetan uprising was suppressed by Beijing, leading the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, along with around 80,000 Tibetans, to flee Tibet and seek exile in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries. Since then, to strengthen its effective control over Tibet, China has implemented a policy of religious extermination by suppressing Tibetan Buddhism, destroying temples, and expelling monks.

In 2012, the principal leader of the CCP, Xi Jinping, launched the policy of “one nation, one ethnic group, one language,” which aims to destroy the identity, language, and culture of all “ethnic minorities,” such as Tibetans and Uyghurs, while imposing a multi-ethnic Han identity.

The Chinese President has taken measures to ensure that Tibetan children are educated in boarding schools with the aim of ethnically assimilating Tibetans and eliminating threats to the CCP. Approximately 800,000 Tibetan children aged 6 to 18 (equivalent to about 78% of Tibetan children) are educated in these institutions, mainly in Chinese. Only content approved by the CCP on Tibetan culture can be taught. This situation genuinely constitutes cultural destruction and political indoctrination.

General Methods of Ethnic Assimilation by the CCP

The ethnic assimilation by the CCP generally occurs in three stages:

First, China deploys its troops to Tibet and other areas, using force to invade the region. Regardless of local protests or uprisings, the People’s Liberation Army, with its overwhelming military power, crushes them. This corresponds to the military repression by the CCP mentioned earlier.

During the next stage, militarily conquering regions inhabited by Tibetans and other ethnic groups, the Communist Party headquarters sent Han Chinese officials to effectively control the region politically and administratively. For example, Uyghurs are forced to live with Han Chinese sent by the Chinese government and are incarcerated and “re-educated” in concentration camps. This is also part of political and administrative control.

Finally, once military, political, and administrative control is established, Beijing pursues a policy of ethnic and cultural assimilation. This includes actions such as the destruction of Tibetan temples by Chinese authorities, the elimination of opportunities to learn the language, religion, and history of the ethnic group, and the obligation to teach Chinese culture and history in the Chinese language. The boarding schools for Tibetan children imposed by Chinese authorities, mentioned above, are an example of this.

Moreover, these three processes of ethnic cleansing do not always occur separately or sequentially. In some cases, military and administrative control is used for cultural assimilation. And once these three processes have, to a certain extent, achieved their goals, Beijing conducts foreign propaganda, which can be described as ethnic historical falsification.

CCP Propaganda Taking Place in France

First, it should be noted that the word “Tibet” was removed from the collections at the Musée du Quai Branly and the Musée Guimet, prominent museums in Paris. In the museum named after Jacques Chirac, the name “Tibet” was replaced with the Chinese term “Autonomous Region of Xizang,” while the labels of the objects still referred to Tibet. However, this renaming was strongly criticized by Tibetan organizations, and the museum appears to have reverted the name from “Autonomous Region of Xizang” back to “Tibet.”

On the other hand, the Musée d’art oriental in Paris still uses the term “Himalayan World” instead of “Nepal Tibet.” The museum explains this name change by stating, “The notion of ‘Himalayan World’ is common in the global museum and academic field. This change in naming is part of a broader project to revise the written mediation in the museum’s rooms. It aims to better help our visitors, many of whom are not specialists in Asian arts, understand the major cultural and artistic stakes of Asian civilizations.”

It is almost certain that Chinese authorities exerted pressure on these two museums. Indeed, in response to President Macron’s X post offering assistance to China following the earthquake in Tibet this month, Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France, responded with a statement that “Tibet does not exist.” His message can be seen as evidence of the propaganda efforts by the Chinese Embassy in France.

Given the repression by Chinese authorities in Tibet described so far, some of the peculiarities in the Chinese government’s response after this disaster are revealed.

Tibetan Earthquake

Rapid Coverup Operation by the Chinese Government and Official Media

According to the official Chinese newspaper, the People’s Daily (Japanese edition), military aircraft took off 10 minutes after the earthquake in Tibet, search operations began in the collapsed areas 30 minutes later, electricity was restored six hours after, and warm meals were served starting that same night. Additionally, Xi Jinping ordered comprehensive rescue operations following the heavy human casualties caused by the earthquake on the same day. These reports were covered by foreign media, including those in Japan and France.

This rapid response by the Chinese regime should not be criticized since the lives of the victims are paramount. However, the extensive coverage of the rescue scenes by official media like CCTV, which was widely broadcast by Beijing, and the quick relay of the president’s instructions by official media like the People’s Daily, create a sense of peculiarity.

It is well known that this country lacks both freedom of expression and press freedom, but it has made significant efforts to provide detailed accounts of the rescue operations conducted by Chinese authorities. The large-scale dissemination campaign is well illustrated by a short video published in the Japanese edition of the People’s Daily, titled “China’s Speed in the Xizang Earthquake.” This 90-second video shows Chinese rescue teams saving people from earthquake-damaged buildings, 200 soldiers donating 60 litres of blood, and serving warm meals at -16°C.

If we assume that the primary goal of these actions was to strengthen China’s effective control over Tibet, the nature of this peculiarity becomes clear. This objective is evident not only in the numerous reports by Chinese state media but also in the announcement of the number of deaths and injuries. Indeed, at the outset of the earthquake, Beijing announced that 126 people had been killed and 188 injured (some sources suggest the number could be as high as 337) following this natural disaster, but there have been no further announcements regarding the number of victims since then. This is because Chinese authorities no longer need to publicize the number of casualties. If the number of victims increases, offers of assistance or interview requests from other countries would multiply, and the Chinese government would face more criticism for its refusal.

Is China then a country that does not receive aid from other countries after a major natural disaster? Of course not. In fact, after the Sichuan earthquake in China in May 2008, the country received cooperation from dozens of governments, including Japan, the United States, and European countries, in the form of funds, supplies, medical care, rescue, and transportation. The only differences between that earthquake and the one in Tibet are the president of the state and the location of the quake. Had this natural disaster occurred outside of Tibet in China, it’s not out of the question that Beijing would have accepted aid from other countries. China does not want the world to witness the ethnic cleansing it is carrying out in Tibet. Therefore, it has not accepted offers of assistance from France and other countries for now. This also reflects China’s desire to conceal the reality of Tibet from the rest of the world.

Conclusion

China has been so adept that it has managed to leverage even natural disasters for its ambitions. Foreign interference by countries like China is a major issue, particularly in Western countries. Understanding the principles behind Chinese behaviour allows for greater vigilance in its foreign operations.

Title image courtesy: Indian Express

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of India and Defence Research and Studies


References

  1. NHK (January 8, 2025), Earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China: 126 dead, 188 injured, search operations continue.
  2. Seki Hei (2021), “Chinese Communist Party: A Hundred Years of Dark History,” Asuka Shinsha.
  3. Tibet House Japan (2021), “Separated from their families hidden from the world: China’s vast system of colonial boarding schools in Tibet.”
  4. Liaison Office of H.H The Dalai Lama, Tibet, Japan, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
  5. People’s Daily (January 7, 2025), “Xi Jinping Orders Comprehensive Rescue Operations After Heavy Human Losses in the 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Xizang.”
  6. People’s Daily (January 12, 2025), “China’s Speed in the Xizang Earthquake.”
  7. LE MONDE (August 31, 2024), “French Museums Bow to Chinese Demands for History Rewriting and Ethnic Erasure.”

By Yosuke Shimono

Yosuke Shimono has served as a diplomat specializing in political affairs in France, Mali and Gabon. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations and Geopolitics from Sciences Po Toulouse. His areas of interest include China, foreign interference, immigration, both domestic and foreign policy of France, Franco-Japanese relations, and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.