China, the West & the ‘Tibet Problem’

For the Chinese, the adoption of the Western-style capitalism was a thoroughly premeditated and pragmatic decision – a highly successful means-to-an-end. By consciously choosing to turn away from Soviet Communism to use western capitalism as the engine for development – but without changing their basic revolutionary philosophy and purpose, the Chinese have achieved unprecedented economic growth. 

On the one hand, China’s explosive growth has revealed the impressive potential for economic interconnectedness to eclipse political and ideological divisions. Paradoxically, China’s rise also reveals the limits of capitalism’s potential to transform societies, as tensions among China, Tibet, and the West have illustrated. 

Chinese see their success story in three time frames: 5000 years of recorded history, 150 years of pain, and a future of enormous promise. Following 150 years of invasion by western powers, conquest by the Japanese, infiltration from missionaries, and civil war, Chinese leaders launched a comprehensive modernization policy in 1978 representing a radical break from the failed economic policies of Mao Tse Tung. The pragmatic new approach focused on agriculture, education, science, more interaction with the world - and above all, accelerated economic development. The development strategy has made China a world economic power, recognized and welcomed almost immediately by Western nations eager to trade. 

China and the United States reestablished formal diplomatic relations in 1979, following decades of mutual suspicion. In 1992, Russia and China signed a declaration restoring friendly ties. In that same year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranked China's economy as third largest in the world after the US and Japan. In 2008, economists are asking when, not if, China will overtake the United States to become the world’s largest economy. All these benchmarks have been achieved by the ruling Communist party, exercising economic flexibility with traditional political control.

2008 Beijing Olympics: Unintended Consequences

Along with China’s transformation into a global economic superpower have come new expectations from new trading partners and allies, and increasing international scrutiny of the Chinese government – a trend magnified by Beijing’s successful bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

Large-scale protests in Tibetan areas across western China which began peacefully on March 10, 2008, turning violent four days later, and a subsequent military crackdown by Chinese authorities received international attention.

World leaders, including U.S. President Bush, have urged the Chinese to resolve tensions in Tibet peacefully, with others, such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, have raised the possibility of boycotting the Olympic Opening ceremony.

China & Tibet: Then & Now

China’s attempts to black-out media coverage have fueled concerns about human rights violations, while obscuring the historical roots of its ‘Tibet Problem,’ and the complicated economic and strategic relationship between China and Tibet today.

Continuing growth and greater integration into the world economy have made protecting China’s borders and maintaining order among the numerous ethnic groups within China especially critical.

At the most basic level, uprisings in Tibet have created a national security problem for China since 632 AD. The region serves as a buffer zone between China on one side and India, Nepal, and Bangladesh on the other. The Himalayan mountain range provides an added level of security as well as a military advantage.

Arguably the most pressing economic security challenge facing China is an increasing shortage of commodities, including the most important of all, water. Tibet serves as a crucial water source for China and holds vast reserves of copper, iron, lead, zinc, and other minerals vital to China’s economic growth.

The relationship goes both ways: Beijing has invested billions in Tibet over the past 10 years as part of its wide-ranging economic development plan for Western China. In fact, Tibet’s economy, aided by subsidies from Beijing, is growing even faster than China’s.

The Chinese government considers Tibet an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times and thus opposes interference in what it believes are China's internal affairs “under the pretext of the Tibet question.” 

Many Chinese, in fact, say that the country is being unfairly targeted in this Olympic year by people jealous of its new power and dynamism – especially since riots in Tibet have been directed against Han Chinese and Chinese owned businesses.

Capitalist China: Redefining the ‘Modern’ Superpower

On Thursday, April 3, 2008, Chinese authorities announced that trials for the more than 1,000 people who have been arrested or turned themselves in to the police in connection with the rioting in Tibet will be held before May 1, 2008.

The quick scheduling of the trials is an apparent sign of the Chinese government's determination to resolve the issue well before the Olympic Games in August. Dubbing its Olympic torch relay the “Journey of Harmony,” China had hoped that the Olympics would serves as a kind of coming-out-party, proving China’s status as a thoroughly ‘modern’ power, and strengthening international ties.

Yet at the same time, the decision to use the military to crackdown on protests at such a politically risky time highlights fundamental differences between China and its trading partners in the West.

The Chinese do not prohibit any form of religious expression, and have even been responsible for building temples in Tibet – but continuing a 5000 year tradition of top-down government, they have drawn the line at political protest. The crackdown on the protests in Tibet is just as much a reaffirmation of this policy as plans for quick resolution are a concession to international pressure.

The anti-government protests in Tibet, despite rapid growth driven by Chinese investment, as well as the Chinese reaction, are striking examples of the limited ability of capitalism to change societies along with economies.

The short term effect has been an international backlash that can’t be explained simply by concern over Tibet, an ongoing issue that has received limited attention for decades. Instead, by highlighting how China’s attitude toward political protest differs from the West, the events in Tibet have revealed deeper tensions. The Olympic torch relay has met with protest throughout Europe, forcing police to halt the procession in Paris after protestors extinguished the torch several times – and angering Chinese, who feel that their country is being unfairly mischaracterized by a small group of activists and the Western media. 

The lasting effect of the events in Tibet may well be a fatal blow to the belief that fair courts, free media, and a liberal attitude toward political dissent are a natural and inevitable outgrowth of a capitalist economy – or a prerequisite for continuing growth.

For a detailed timeline of Modern Chinese History Click Here

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