By Tenzin Nyidon, Phayul
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 25: In a recent edition of ANI Podcast Smita Praksha, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the former President of the Tibetan government in exile, emphasised the importance of understanding Tibet to comprehend China’s behaviour on the global stage. He labelled China as an ‘expansionist’ empire, by delving into the historical events, particularly Tibet’s occupation by China and its subsequent aggression in multiple fronts.
“If you want to understand China, you must understand Tibet. If you don’t understand Tibet, you will never understand China,” Lobsang remarked. Dr. Sangay delved into the Indo-China war of 1962, attributing it to a surreptitious plan rooted in the Simla Agreement of 1914. He elaborated how India was unwittingly fooled, and signed the Panchsheel Agreement with China in 1954. This decision, according to him, laid the groundwork for China’s strategic plan for the occupation of Tibet and the invasion of India. “The plan of occupation of Tibet and invasion of India was the actual plan behind the Panchsheel Agreement which India saw as a peace agreement. Although it was a peace agreement, China had already planted the year of invasion of both Tibet and also of India,” he said.
He also revealed a significant historical episode during Premier Zhou Enlai’s visit to India. The request made by Zhou Enlai to open the Calcutta port facilitated the supply chain from Shanghai to Calcutta for the Chinese officers and troops stationed in Tibet. India, at the time, agreed to open the port, allowing for the transportation of essential supplies through the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim. Dr. Sangay suggested that by facilitating this supply route, India inadvertently made it easier for Chinese troops to suppress Tibetan rebellions. Additionally, he said that the same supply chain was later utilised to support the Chinese invasion of India in 1962. The opening of the Calcutta port, in essence, played a role in bringing Chinese forces closer to Tibet and, consequently, to the India-China border, he remarked.
The former President further pointed to specific incidents, such as the Doklam standoff in 2017 and the Galwan clash in 2020, as evidence of China’s expansionist designs. According to Dr. Sangay, China’s incursions have led to significant territorial losses for India, with Chinese forces moving miles and kilometers inside Indian territory and establishing permanent military fixtures, such as helipads and camps in disputed regions like Doklam.
Drawing parallels between Tibet’s occupation and the current geopolitical scenario, Dr. Sangay highlighted the Chinese leader’s clear strategy of gradually expanding their influence beyond Tibet. The metaphor of Tibet as the “palm” and the adjacent regions as the “five fingers” alluded to China’s territorial ambitions in Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. He noted that this historical narrative was initially met with scepticism, but recent events indicate the realisation of China’s expansionist agenda by India after 60 years.
Sources / Links:
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) 