New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): Lobsang Sangay, former Tibetan Prime Minister in exile, said that China’s expansionist policy treats Tibet as a palm and its surrounding nations as the five fingers.
Speaking to ANI, Sangay said China’s leadership values Tibet for its extensive mineral and natural resources. “Even the late Panchen Lama said China has benefited more from Tibet than Tibetans have. Tibet is the palm. You control it firmly, and you go after five fingers. That’s Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. This is the expansionist policy. Now, Xi Jinping has come once, and he has come a second time to emphasize the implementation of this five-finger strategy,” he said.
He praised the Indian army for countering Chinese incursions along the border. “And clearly, they’re in Doklam, you know. They’re in Galwan, Ladakh, in Sikkim, and Bhutan. In Arunachal, every week, they try to get the upper hand,” Sangay added.
Sangay noted that China has benefited from Tibetans, as Chinese migrants are prioritized over locals in business licenses, infrastructure projects, and other economic opportunities. “Compared to the 1950s, Tibet has developed more roads, railways, airplanes, and buildings. Infrastructure is good, but who are the primary beneficiaries? It’s the Chinese migrants. Their movements, migration, and businesses are subsidized and prioritized. Even the rickshaw puller’s license or small stall licenses are primarily given to Chinese first,” he said.
He added that during summer, Chinese migrants dominate business activities, while harsh winters drive Tibetans elsewhere, further strengthening Chinese economic control.
Highlighting Tibet’s strategic importance, Sangay said the region is essential for China’s access to uranium, gold, copper, and other minerals. “Economically, the Chinese are in control. With all this mining—uranium, lithium, gold, copper—75 percent of China’s lithium reserves are in Tibet. The second-largest copper mining operation is in Tibet. There are maybe a trillion dollars’ worth of minerals—136 different kinds—being exploited by the Chinese government,” he said.
Sangay emphasized that Tibet seeks only a middle-path approach with China. “The official aspiration remains a middle way approach—engaging in dialogue with the Chinese government to seek genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people, which is the essence of the middle way,” he said.
He expressed despair over the difficulty of dialogue with China. “The experience of the last 30 years clearly indicates that dialogue with the Chinese government is very difficult. They are not in the mood to dialogue with anybody. They are in the mood to take from everybody. Solving the issue of Tibet and obtaining genuine autonomy is becoming more and more difficult,” Sangay said.
The China-Tibet issue centers on China’s assertion of sovereignty over Tibet, which began with its 1949 invasion and annexation, versus the Tibetan government-in-exile’s claims of historical independence and calls for self-determination. (ANI)
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