Sperling E. The Tibet-China Conflict: History and Polemics

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POSITIONSSAIDTOBE

REmECTIVEOFCENTURIESOF

POPULARCONSENSUSONTHE

4IBETISSUEAREACTUALLY

VERYRECENTCONSTRUCTIONS

 4HE4IBET#HINA#ONmICT 

RECENTCONSTRUCTIONONEBELIEDBYTHEACTUALBONDSTHATEXISTEDBETWEEN

4IBETANDSEVERALIMPERIALDYNASTIES

4HE1UESTIONOF4IBETS(ISTORICAL3TATUS

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AND4IBETANS4HE"RITISHRULERSOF)NDIAINTHELATENINETEENTHANDEARLY

TWENTIETHCENTURIESFELTASTRATEGICNEEDTODEALWITHTHEISSUEANDOBSERVING

THE IMPOTENCE OF THE DECLINING 1ING DYNASTY n IN 4IBET

CONCLUDEDTHATITSAUTHORITYTHEREWASWHOLLYWITHOUTSUBSTANCE%ARLYIN

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7EREGARDTHESOCALLEDSUZERAINTYOF#HINAOVER4IBETASA

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ARMEDMEN

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  %LLIOT3PERLING

ITISv

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ALMOSTNOTHINGBUTANNOTATEDEXTRACTSFROM#HINESEHISTORICALSOURCESAND

DOCUMENTS

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ADDUCEAVARIETYOFOTHERFACTORSTHATDIVIDE4IBETANSAND#HINESESUCHAS

LANGUAGECULTUREANDRELIGION

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#OMMUNIST0ARTYITISTORAISEQUESTIONSAGAINST

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4HESERIOUSIMPLICATIONSCOUCHEDINANYDOUBTS

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REACTIONSFROM#HINESEWRITERSTOSUCHQUESTIONS

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SIGNIlCANTBEARINGONTHEMODERNIDENTITYOF#HINA

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lGURES POSIT AS THE HISTORICAL CASE FOR4IBET !DDITIONALLY IT WILL DISCUSS

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PERSPECTIVEASSELFEVIDENTLYSUPPORTIVEOF#HINESEASSERTIONS!RGUMENTS

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THEPUBLICATIONOFSEVERALCOLLECTIONSOFDOCUMENTSMEANTTOBUTTRESSAND

4IBETSHISTORYHAS

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ANDEXISTENTIALISSUE

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BEARINGONTHEMODERN

IDENTITYOF#HINA

CLEARLYPROVETHEPOINT

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IT WAS SET AGAINST THE CONTEXT OF "RITISH )NDIAS NEED TO SECURE )NDIAS

FRONTIERS AND ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBILITY OF THREATS OR CONCERNS EMANATING

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"RITISHINmUENCE4HEFEARSOF#URZONANDOTHERSWEREPREDICATEDONTHE

POSSIBLETHREATTO)NDIATHATMIGHTEXTENDFROM2USSIAWITHITS #ENTRAL

!SIANINTERESTSATHREATFROMTHE1INGWASHARDLYIMAGINABLE!NDSOIN

SEEKINGTO BLOCK 2USSIANDESIGNSIN )NNER !SIA "RITAINBECAME PARTYTO

SEVERALAGREEMENTSANDTREATIESTHATACKNOWLEDGED4IBETSSUBORDINATIONTO

#HINA



0RESENTDAY#HINESETREATMENTSOFANDSTATEMENTSONTHESTATUSOF

4IBETDONOTGIVEANYPRIMARYWEIGHTTOTHESEAGREEMENTSGIVENTHATTHEY

AREINTHEEYESOFMODERN#HINESETHEPRODUCTSOFANERAINWHICH#HINA

WASREDUCEDTOASEMICOLONYBYIMPERIALISTAGGRESSION



4IBETS HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP TO #HINA WAS CAST IN ITS PRESENT

FORMULATIONONLYAFTERTHE0EOPLES2EPUBLICOF#HINAHADBEENESTABLISHED

"UTTHE2EPUBLICOF#HINAHADALSODEALTWITHTHEISSUEDURINGTHETIME

THAT IT HELD SWAY ON THE #HINESE MAINLAND n )N FACT WHEN

NEGOTIATIONSTORESOLVETHE4IBETISSUEWEREATTEMPTEDIN3IMLAINn

 THE #HINESE DELEGATIONCAME WITHA CLEARSTATEMENT OF WHAT IT HELD

TO BE THE HISTORICAL STATUS OF4IBET !CCORDINGLY THE #HINESE DELEGATION

SUBMITTEDTOTHECONFERENCEON/CTOBERITSPOSITIONTHAT4IBET

HADBEENINCORPORATEDINTOTHE-ONGOL%MPIREINANDREMAINEDIN

THISRELATIONSHIPIETHATOFANIMPERIALDOMINIONTO#HINADURINGTHE

-INGPERIODn3IGNIlCANTLYTHE#HINESESTATEMENTELABORATES

ONTHEAFTERMATHOFTHE'URKHAINVASIONOF4IBETWHICHRESULTEDINTHE

4IBETO.EPALESE7AROFn

SOPOWERLESSANDHELPLESSWERETHE4IBETANSTHATTHEYAGAINWENTTO

#HINAFORASSISTANCE4OTHEIRSUPPLICATION#HINARESPONDEDATONCE

BYSENDINGOVERSOLDIERSTO4IBETANDACCORDINGLYTHE'URKHAS

  %LLIOTT3PERLING