One China’ is all about Taiwan; Tibet issue is different – exile Tibetan leader

The ‘One China’ policy is a product of US-China deal over the status of Taiwan and has no application to issues like Tibet, Mr Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong (executive head) of the Central Tibetan administration (CTA), has said, speaking at a discussion on ‘weaponisation of the One China policy’ in New Delhi Aug 1.

The ‘One China’ policy is a result of the United States’ attempt to establish relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while maintaining its relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the 1970’s, which had no relevance to Tibet, he has said, citing the late veteran exile Tibetan diplomat Mr Lodi Gyari.

“Yet, the PRC government vigorously pursues efforts to extend the application of ‘one-China’ to Tibet and, in recent years, it has misled a number of governments into believing not only that the ‘one-China’ policy applies to Tibet, but that it restricts the extent to which their government officials can interact with Tibetan leaders in exile, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” Penpa Tsering has said, quoting from Gyari’s posthumously published memoir.

“When you talk about Tibet, then you have to talk from 1945 to 51 and 54”, Penpa Tsering has argued while briefly touching on the positions of the Indian government on Tibet and China since it regained independence in 1947.

One China policy or One China principle has nothing to do with Tibet and for Tibet; you will have to look at it from a totally different prism or historical perspective.”

The Sikyong has also referred to the 17-point agreement which China had coerced Tibet to sign under duress in 1951 and which the Dalai Lama eventually abrogated when he had the freedom to do so after arriving in exile in India.