China Rejects Tibet Autonomy, Insists on Talks Only with Dalai Lama’s Representatives

The so-called Xizang’s government-in-exile is deemed illegal by Mr. Wang, who stated during a media briefing that it goes against the Chinese Constitution and laws. He emphasized that no country has recognized it.

Meanwhile, the political head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, mentioned during a meeting with journalists in India that there have been informal back-channel engagements since last year, although there are no immediate expectations from it. He also expressed that any progress would have to be a long-term endeavor.

The head of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has stressed the informal nature of the talks, mentioning that there are interlocutors dealing with people in Beijing and other elements attempting to reach out to the CTA. In contrast, Mr. Wang outlined the Chinese government’s basic principles for contacts with the Dalai Lama’s group, specifically stating that talks will only occur with the representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama and will focus solely on arrangements, not on the autonomy of Tibet.

He urged the Tibetan group to introspect and refrain from activities that undermine the stability of Xizang. The dialogue process, which took place from 2002 to 2010, consisted of nine rounds of discussions but did not yield any concrete outcomes.

The Tibetan side advocated for genuine autonomy in line with the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle-Way Policy.’ Since 2010, no formal talks have been held, although a senior Tibetan leader indicated in Dharamshala that the back-channel talks aim to revive the overall dialogue process as the means to resolve the Tibetan issue.

The 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 during China’s forceful and illegal occupation, establishing the government-in-exile in Dharamshala, India. *(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.

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