The Archive of Tibet Autonomous Region printed Buddhist scriptures and presented them to the Drepung Monastery as gifts.	Electricity is lighting up even the most remote corners of Tibet.	Tibetan pupils in class.

THE “Tibet Issue” was conceived at a time when Western imperialists were determined to invade and carve up China. They wooed and promoted separatist forces in Tibet from among the serf-owning class, which likewise wished to split Tibet from China with the support of imperialists. Between them, the two sides colluded and fabricated the “Tibet Issue.”

Today, Western anti-China forces, led principally by sinophobes in the upper circles of the United States, have inherited the legacy of the old imperialists by funding and supporting the Dalai Clique in order to oppose China and hinder its rise. Meanwhile, the Dalai Clique takes every opportunity it can to engage in sabotage in its pursuit of “Tibet independence.” That unrealistic dream is the crucial reason for the prolonged existence of the “Tibet Issue.”

The key to its resolution lies in China’s continued development and its response to separatism’s largely exiled promoters. National unity and ethnic harmony are fundamental interests of China’s, and the Chinese people have no room for compromise or concession on any “Tibet independence” attempt. Rather, they must resolutely wage an anti-separatist struggle, expose the sinister intentions of the separatists, and unite and rely on the people of various ethnic groups in Tibet to strike a powerful counterblow against the saboteurs. They must resist until the conspiracy is defeated and final victory is won.

Western anti-China forces regard China’s development and rise as an incipient threat to their global hegemony, and they will use every opportunity and method to sabotage China’s peaceful rise. And the “Tibet Issue” is not their only card. They will play other cards as well, such as the “Taiwan Issue,” “human rights,” “democracy,” and “fair trade.”

What the United States is most concerned about are its own interests, and the Dalai Clique is nothing but a tool in the hands of anti-China forces. It is so weak on its own that its existence depends on foreign handouts, but it believes that Western nations will give it their full support in the interest of “Tibet independence,” regardless of their own interests. It is a childish fantasy. Given China’s rise and its growing influence in the world, as well as the economic and cultural development of Tibet, the utilization value of the Dalai Clique will diminish, and the situation will become more and more difficult for it.

Another way out of the “Tibet Issue” would be for the Dalai Clique to abandon its separatist ambitions, refuse to serve as a tool of Western anti-China forces, recant its misguided demand for “Tibet independence,” “high-degree of autonomy” and a “Greater Tibet,” and to return to the patriotic fold by halting its incitement of ethnic hatred and violence. Its only realistic choice is to find the correct road that will normalize the situation through negotiations with the Central People’s Government, and to do something positive for the people of Tibet for a change. Of course, that will depend on whether or not the Dalai Clique can indeed make the right choices.

Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951 and the suppression of the armed rebellion organized by the Dalai Clique in 1959, great changes have taken place in Tibet. The main accomplishments are as follows:

( A ) Imperialist forces have been driven out, and the region has become part of a unified Chinese mainland. The people of Tibet, as part of the Chinese motherland, have established and developed new socialist ethnic relationships with various fraternal ethnic groups based on equality, unity, mutual help and friendship.

( B ) Socialist reforms have been enacted, thoroughly abolishing feudal serfdom. Over one million serfs were emancipated and set on the socialist path.

( C ) Ethnic regional autonomy has been introduced, and the people’s democratic political power has been established. Some 37,000 Tibetan cadres have been trained, making up 66 percent of the total number of cadres. Among cadres at the autonomous regional level, Tibetan cadres make up 72 percent. In addition, 17,000 professional cadres belonging to ethnic minorities have been trained.

( D ) Tibet’s economy has experienced great improvements. Tibet has had bumper harvests in agriculture and animal husbandry for many years running, and a modern industrial system has taken shape. In 2007, the GDP of Tibet Autonomous Region totaled RMB 30 billion, and Tibet’s communications facilities have also seen rapid development. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has reached Lhasa, ending Tibet’s history without railways, and the Sichuan-Tibet, Qinghai-Tibet, Xinjiang-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet and China-Nepal highways, as well as the Golmud-Lhasa oil pipeline, have been built. In addition, it has opened air routes from Lhasa to Lanzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Kathmandu, in Nepal. The tourism industry has developed rapidly and continues growing, while the overall living standards of the people of Tibet have improved greatly.

( E ) Religious belief in Tibet has been respected. The indigenous culture has been protected and carried forward. Meanwhile, modern cultural facilities have been built, such as cinemas, television, radio and satellite earth stations. The illiteracy rate has dropped from 90 percent to 44 percent with the development of education, and medical services and healthcare have progressed greatly. The entire population of the autonomous region now enjoys free medical care.

( F ) The Tibetan population in Tibet Autonomous Region has doubled, increasing from one million to 2.8 million, which has reversed the earlier situation of stagnation and decline.

Under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, aided by various provinces and municipalities of the entire country, and through common efforts of the people of various ethnic groups in the autonomous region, Tibet is realizing unprecedented development. The great cause of building a new Tibet that is marked by unity, prosperity and civilization is advancing step by step. That is what constitutes the bright future of Tibet.

CHEN QINGYING is a senior researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center.