China-Tibet Relations, Past & Present

[aimarraul]

Passage under Potala Palace unveiled in Lhasa
09:08, May 12, 2010

The underground passage of the Potala Palace enters the final phase of construction, April 28, 2010. Workers work overtime to ensure the project is completed on time. [Photo: Chinanews.com.cn]

The five-month construction of a passage running under the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has just been completed. Local officials say it is a milestone in the development of Lhasa's overall traffic infrastructure, China News Service reports.

The 37 million RMB (5.45 million USD) underpass project, running beneath the world-famous Potala Palace, aims to reduce the pressure of urban traffic, as well as better protect the world cultural heritage sites around the city, according to local reports.

The new underground pass will provide safer and more convenient traffic options for local residents, visitors from home and abroad, as well as a large number of Buddhist pilgrims, the deputy mayor of Lhasa city pointed out at the opening ceremony held at the Potala Palace Tuesday.

Considering the unique geographic location of the Potala Palace, a series of pragmatic measures have been taken to ensure the improvement of the local environment, including a complete enclosure made with waterproof purdah around the underpass and protective pillars set up around adjacent buildings before the start of construction. No impact has been made on surrounding buildings so far, says a local official.

The plaza of the world-renowned Potala Palace has seen hoards of local residents walking across it since the opening ceremony. The pipes of the plaza's artificial lake have been renovated, along with water pipes nearby. In addition, the pedestrian way and plants that were removed during construction have been replaced.

The underground passage has been built in a distinctive Tibetan style, and its roof features elegant local wood carvings. Fire control, ventilation and water drainage facilities are all in sound condition.

Source: CRI online

The underground passage of the Potala Palace enters the final phase of construction, April 28, 2010. Workers work overtime to ensure the project is completed on time. [Photo: Chinanews.com.cn]

 

[aimarraul]

40,000 farmers and herdsmen bid farewell to "isolated life" in Tibet
08:44, May 12, 2010

The existing 84 rope bridges in Tibet's Qamdo, Nyingchi, Nagqu and Xigaze regions will gradually be replaced by modern bridges, and more than 40,000 farmers and herdsmen who have been using the rope bridges for generations will bid farewell to the isolated life on the plateau, according to the news from Tibet Autonomous Region's Poverty Alleviation Office.

The rope bridges refer to a kind of bridge made of a rope connected to both banks of a river or two mountains. Using it, people can cross deep valleys and rivers. In southwestern China's Hengduan Mountain Region, rope bridges are the primitive river crossing tools used by ethnic minorities including the Tibetan and Lisu ethnicities. In order to change the backwards transport infrastructure conditions of remote ethnic areas, the State decided to replace rope bridges with modern bridges.

Currently, Tibet has 84 rope bridges and they are used by more than 40,000 farmers and herdsmen who are from the four regions of Qamdo, Nyingchi and Nagqu and Xigaze.

Since December 2008, the Tibet Autonomous Region's Poverty Alleviation Office began studying the feasibility of transforming the 84 rope bridges into modern bridges. After investigation from experts and professional technical staff, the design plans for replacing 18 of the rope bridges were approved by the State. The state has invested a total of more than 23 million yuan for the construction of the 18 simple bridges in July 2009.

In view of the transport facility's unique cultural history and value, the State will construct suspension bridges and at the same time, reserve the original appearance of the rope bridges. Together with the simple modern bridges, the rope bridges will stand between mountains and valleys.

By People's Daily Online

 

[vickylee]

I have to find more about this!

 

[satangel]

I am sorry for my nitpicking but I petition administrator to change the title of this thread to simply "Tibet - Past & Present" instead of "China-Tibet Relations - Past & Present", which I personally think is politically wrong. I don't care if any other forum uses this kind of title but since it's a dedicated forum to China topics, this title hurt my humble Chinese eyes.

TIA,

 

[gpit]

As I mentioned in other thread, I am in China these days. More precisely I am in Beijing today (MOD can check my IP for accuracy).

I just talked with a Tibet high school student who is from Lhasa high school. He uses his summer vacation to sell some Tibet products on Beijing street to earn some money. We talked about Lama culture, religions, Tibet local products, their life style and living standard, how he travels from Lhasa to Beijing and how he feels about living in Han dominating city like Beijing ….. a lot of things. I feel that he is very nice and very much like the rest of the Chinese, except sometimes his Mandarin is less fluent, and occasionally with a little accent.

I think the future of Tibet and Tibetans is tied with the rest of China, not with the West, the Westerners or Western countries. Only the fool or those with evil intention would think otherwise.

Having said that, I would like to think that, given different style of life in rural Tibet, only material support from the rest of China is not enough, albeit extremely important. One needs to consider their unique way of living as well, at least for the moment.

 

[below_freezing]

Why is this thread titled as such?

Can we open up a USA-Hawaii Relations, Past & Present thread in the US forum? I have much to say about the current brutal US occupation of hawaii and how they flooded the island with whites to destroy native culture. Many chinese members also have this will.

Otherwise the thread title can be changed.

 

[aimarraul]

46 M yuan on preservation of Tibetan monastery
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-12 15:17

Tibetan monks attend a ceremony to mark the start of preservation work of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa Sept 11, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

LHASA -- China is spending 46 million yuan (6.8 million U.S. dollars) on the preservation of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

Built in 1419 in northern Lhasa, the monastery needs repairs, said Losang Jigme, Tibet's top official in charge of religious affairs.

The preservation work will keep the monastery's original style, he said at a ceremony marking the start of the repairs Saturday.

The repairing project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

"The preservation of the Sera Monastery, a cultural and spiritual treasure from our forefathers, will protect and promote cultural and religious heritage," Padma Choling, chairman of the regional government, said at the ceremony.

The Chinese government has spent more than 1.3 billion yuan since the 1980s on the preservation of more than 1,400 monasteries in Tibet, including three major monasteries - the Potala Palace, Norbu Lingka Palace and Sagya Monastery.

 

[Martian2]

@ Martian, most of the material that you have posted is symptomatic. ...going to the root causes, why do you exactly think that America is out to destabilize China? And why do you think that they will go via the Uighurs or the Tibetans? Why does the Hans being 1.3 Billion matter so much when considering the Uighur and the Tibet scenario??

What do you think does China stand for that is not acceptable to other countries in the region such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, India etc? Why do you think that USA (if at all) is able to find supportive and converging viewpoints with these countries?

Also what do you think is the dichotomy of thoughts in the above countries versus other few nations in Asia such as Pakistan, North Korea, Myanmaar etc. What do you think is the gravitating point of either of these poles? Where do you think does the affinity stand? Afterall some of the nations are not at all ethnically similar or dis-similar to China irrespective of their affinity.....

And further, why do you think that India will support US in this endeavour (if you at all are skeptic about Indian support to ventures against China)? Probably we can then bring a lot that you have posted in some perspective.......

That my friend, is going to be one hell of a discussion....

America has publicly proclaimed that it will not permit any nation to challenge it for military or economic (e.g. this is implied; economic strength is the underpinning of long-term military power) supremacy.

The Bubble of American Supremacy
"The Bush doctrine, first enunciated in a presidential speech at West Point in June of 2002, and incorporated into the National Security Strategy three months later, is built on two pillars: the United States will do everything in its power to maintain its unquestioned military supremacy; and the United States arrogates the right to pre-emptive action. In effect, the doctrine establishes two classes of sovereignty: the sovereignty of the United States, which takes precedence over international treaties and obligations; and the sovereignty of all other states, which is subject to the will of the United States. This is reminiscent of George Orwell's Animal Farm: all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

America is urging the Tibetans to revolt because they are a large group, relatively speaking, of ethnic non-Hans in China. If the 1.3 billion Hans were serious about permanently solving the Tibetan problem, they have the power to impose American-style Native-American/"Indian" reservations on the rampaging and murdering Tibetans.

China's neighbors have territorial disputes with China or they're simply afraid of a budding superpower. These countries look to the United States because the U.S. is an ocean away and there are no potential territorial disputes.

China's allies in Asia can look to China for economic, political, and military aid or support. Also, in the long term, having access on favorable terms to the increasingly vast Chinese market is a smart business proposition.

In my view, India wants to play the old game during the Cold War. India wants to be a swing state and extract as much economic and technological benefits from the U.S. and China. However, this strategy is unlikely to work.

During the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union were bitter ideological enemies. In contrast, the U.S. and China are frenemies. They cooperate in many areas, but remain suspicious of each other. The two countries continue to talk and cooperate. This greatly lessens any bargaining power that India (or any other country) may possess.

"The World Depends on U.S.-China Cooperation" - Wall Street Journal

I do not agree that Sino-American relations are heading into a crisis. It only looks that way because China is growing stronger and the U.S. is unhappy at the loss of overwhelming unilateral economic power. The closing of the military technology gap has also contributed to the sense of "crisis."

The only true crisis is how does America intend to interact with an increasingly co-equal China. For those that doubt this proposition, the IMF 5-year projection is that China's nominal GDP will be 1/2 of American GDP by 2015 (see List of countries by future GDP (nominal) estimates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). If you believe that purchasing-power-parity (i.e. PPP) is a better measure then China's PPP GDP will be the same as the United States in 5 years (see List of countries by future GDP (PPP) estimates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

China's military budget is the second-largest in the world. However, it is only a fraction of the U.S. military budget. The caveat is that China's military budget continues to grow year-after-year while the U.S. is talking about cutting its military budget to tackle the federal deficit and debt.

The U.S. is the leader of the developed world. Arguably, China is the leader of the developing world (e.g. most of Africa and Southeast Asia support China at the U.N.). The world is split roughly into two halves. Nothing will be accomplished if the developed world and the developing world do not cooperate (e.g. the current standoff at the WTO Doha round is a prime example).

In conclusion, the United States and China will continue to squabble, but they will compromise. Both countries are pragmatic and they understand that problems need to be solved. There is very little to be gained from confrontation or finger-pointing.

U.S.-China Cooperation on Global Issues, with Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg - Brookings Institution
"May 10, 2010 ... The United States is increasingly reaching out to China for cooperation in managing multiple international challenges, including economic ..."

The World Depends on U.S.-China Cooperation - WSJ.com
"* APRIL 23, 2009
The World Depends on U.S.-China Cooperation
The two countries have many shared interests."

BBC News - Barack Obama invites China's Hu Jintao for state visit
"BBC News - ‎Jun 26, 2010‎
China's President Hu Jintao has accepted an invitation for a state visit from US President Barack Obama, the White House has said. The invitation was made ..."

 

[aimarraul]

Building of Natural Science Museum begins in Tibet
English.news.cn 2010-10-08 19:30:38 FeedbackPrintRSS

LHASA, Oct.8 (Xinhua)-- Construction on the first large Comprehensive Natural Science Museum in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region began Friday in Lhasa, the regional capital.

"Tibet's Natural Science Museum, which is scheduled to open to the public in 2011, will aim to show the rich natural resources along with the unique history and culture in Tibet," said a spokesman for Tibet's Science and Technology Bureau.

The 442.5-million-yuan building will include three large exhibition halls showcasing nature, science and technology, and Tibetan culture and customs.

Located in Tamacun, in the east of Lhasa, the 130,000-square-meter site is by the Lhasa River, close to Tibet University.

Tibet, with an average elevation of 4,000 metres, has 125 unique wild animals and more than 6,400 species of plants.

Tibet's Natural Science Museum would be an educational site for Tibetans and a tourist destination, said the spokesman.

Tibet plans huge investment in highway construction
English.news.cn 2010-10-07 16:35:32 FeedbackPrintRSS

LHASA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Transport authorities in remote China's Tibet Autonomous Region will invest heavily in highway construction for the next five years to provide better access to its rural townships.

Almost 50 billion yuan will be earmarked for highway construction during the 2011-2015 period, a spokesman with the Tibet Autonomous Regional Transport Department said Thursday.

The total length of highways will be extended from the current 58,000 km to 70,000 km by 2015 in the plateau region, the spokesman said.

All rural townships will be connected by highway, he said. Currently, about three quarters of townships have highway links.

In the past five years, China has invested heavily in building transport infrastructure in Tibet, pouring money into construction of highways, railways and airports.

On July 1 this year, Tibet's fourth civil airport opened in its far west Ngari area, shortening a trip to the regional capital Lhasa to one and half hours from three or four days by car.

 

[aimarraul]

supporting projects of zangmu dam finished

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[Akasa]

Tibet is part of China, so it's inaccurate to title this threat "China-Tibet relations"

 

[gpit]

Just find it. Without attaching this article here won't make this thread more perfect. Sorry, it's in Chinese.

亮出你的舌苔或空空荡荡

 

[ephone]

Can the forum administrator change its title at first?

The title is very misleading to make people think Tibet and China are two separate countries. However, Tibet is actually part of China.

 

[houshanghai]

Tibet exhibition opens eyes in Spain
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-17 07:58
Comments(0) PrintMail Large Medium Small
MADRID - Tibet has made notable achievements over the past 60 years, and its development reflects the requirements of the social advancements and the fundamental wishes of the Tibetan people, Chinese Tibetologist Pubu Cering said during the ongoing China Tibetan Culture Week on Tuesday.

Related readings:
Tibetan art arrives in Spain
Traditional Tibetan performance in Spain
46 M yuan on preservation of Tibetan monastery
Tibet receives 5 M tourists in first eight months

Pubu is leading a Tibetologist delegation for the week, after the cultural event's launch in the Spanish capital on Monday.
At a seminar attended by dozens of overseas Chinese and students, he outlined the achievements that Tibet had made during its modernization process, saying the Tibetan people had always been the principal force behind and the main beneficiaries of development.

He said Tibet's GDP had soared from 174 million yuan ($26 million) to 44.1 billion yuan ($6.65 billion) between 1959 and 2009.

Besides the economic increase, Tibet has also made great progress in education, technology, medical health and cultural protection, Pubu said.

With the help and support of the central government and Chinese people from other regions, Tibet will surely continue to build a more brilliant future, he said.

The "2010 China Tibetan Culture Week" was launched in Madrid on Monday with an exhibition of traditional paintings and colorful pictures of Tibet.

Dong Yunhu, deputy director of the Chinese State Council Information Office, said it was the first time a cultural event on Tibet was held in Spain, and represented an important moment of cultural understanding between Spain and China.

"I believe the culture week will provide a rare opportunity for Spanish people to get a close look at Tibet, its culture, people and development," Dong said.

The 10-day "2010 China Tibetan Culture Week" - also celebrated in Valencia - will also see several events featuring Tibetan music and dance as well as exchanges with tibetologists and specialists in traditional Tibetan medicine.

Josus Osuna, chairman of the Spanish Association of Friends of China, said at the opening ceremony that Spanish people have a strong interest in Tibet, but noted their knowledge about the region is limited.

The chairman said he believed the cultural event would open a window for the Spanish people, helping them improve their knowledge about Tibet.

He added that he hoped Spain and China could improve cooperation and mutual understanding through cultural exchanges.

The 2010 China Tibetan Culture Week is co-sponsored by the State Council Information Office, the government of the Tibet autonomous region and the Chinese embassy in Spain.

China Daily - Xinhua



Tibet exhibition opens eyes in Spain