Tenzin Lhundrup, the Deputy Director of Social Economic Research Institute of China Center for Tibet Study in Beijing, in an interview with the Oriental Post (Dongfang Zaobao) of Shanghai

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Nov 5, 2009 – 5:26:34 AM

The reference to Melvyn Goldstein’s History of Tibet in the article made me think of a story I heard. A Tibetan intellectual told me that the first edition Chinese translation of the first volume of Melyvn Goldstein’s A History of ModernTibet is prized by Tibetan scholars in China. It seems that the first edition was translated too completely and accurately. This was discovered after it was published, so when the copies were collected to be pulped and replaced by a “second” first edition, they didn’t get all the copies, making the Chinese translation of the first edition a prize for scholars. First time I heard this story. I have heard of mangled translations and apparently intentionally distorted interviews with people in the PRC media so it might be true.

The idea of U.S. criticizing of China stopping in exchange for setting up a formal dialogue on Tibet might arise by mirroring of the Chinese situation onto the U.S. by some Chinese thinkers. The Party in China could arrange for criticism on certain topics to die down or at least be much less audible, but U.S. political parties are fortunately not as capable, though they must wish they could at times. Still, this is moderate in tone (but still in line with the United Front Department line — see the Focus interview with the United Front Dept. Vice Minister Zhu Weiqin in English at http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/6785853.html ) and that it comes from an institute under the United Front Department is interesting.
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Tenzin Lhundrup, the Deputy Director of Social Economic Research Institute of China Center for Tibet Study in Beijing, in an interview with the Oriental Post (Dongfang Zaobao) of Shanghai on Thursday November 5, predicted that there won’t be any fundamental change in the Obama Administration’s policy towards the Dalai Lama since U.S. Tibet policy is based on American national interests, values and domestic politics.

The China Center for Tibet Study is under the United Front Department of the Chinese Communist Party and publishes China Tibetology.

As a Chinese scholar, Tenzin hopes that Obama will respect China’s sovereignty, not meddle in China’s internal affairs and understand China’s concerns when he deals with the Tibet Issue.

Speaking personally as a Chinese scholar, he said that the US and China should establish a contact and communication mechanism and head towards a constructive development path for their relationship instead of criticizing Chinese government for the Tibet Issue.

[Note: This article appeared on the Chinese government’s official Tibet information website info.tibet.cn as well as in the Shanghai paper Dongfang Zaobao. In this article, Tenzin Lhundrup uses the respectful reference Dalai Lama for the Dalai Lama rather than “Dalai” as Chinese officials and the Chinese press often refer to the Dalai Lama. End note]

Below is a summary and translation of some of the more interesting paragraphs of the interview. In response to a question on whether Obama will raise the Tibet issue during his upcoming visit to China, Tenzin says it will certainly be one of the topics the two leaders will talk about, but it won’t be one of the main topics of discussion since there are other important things such as global financial crisis, climate change and bilateral trade and military trust. If Obama is truly concerned about the actual result of solving the Tibet issue, then there should be some change in the U.S. stance that will gradually create a good environment between Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. The Chinese people also can say “Yes, we can” when it comes the Tibet Issue.
On Obama’s possible meeting with the Dalai Lama after his China-visit, Tenzin says Obama will meet with the Dalai Lama as it is related to American values and domestic political needs.¬ Moreover, Obama has just got Nobel Peace Prize and the Dalai Lama also ‚Äúgot‚Äù it; therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two were to meet. However, there won‚Äôt be any fundamental changes in the Sino-US relations after such a meeting.¬ Clinton and Bush also met with the Dalai Lama, but was there any substantive impact on U.S. – China relations? No!
As a summary of his view, Tenzin says, ‚ÄúFirst, Tibet is an integral part of China; second, the issue of the Dalai Lama is an issue of China‚Äôs contemporary historical issue that needs to be resolved and third, previous US administrations took some measures on the Tibet Issue, but their efforts were not at¬ all effective and can’t achieve anything.‚Äù
Actually, what the Chinese government worries about is not whether or not Obama sees the Dalai Lama.¬ The real problem has to do with China’s core interests.¬ Some people seek to use American power, and use the fact of the U.S. president seeing or not seeing a certain person as a secret signal and so put pressure on the Chinese government.¬ This can make some people who do not understand the facts believe that the U.S. government supports the Tibetan “independence movement” and is trying to coerce the Chinese government.
Although Obama, like his predecessors, upholds U.S. interests, thus far he appears different from his predecessors in that he has not seen the Dalai Lama.¬ When the Dalai Lama visited Washington in October, Obama unlike recent presidents, did not see him despite pressure domestic pressure, especially from Congress and lobbyists, to do so. In this he is different from other presidents.
¬ ¬ ¬ However, we need to understand, Obama even though he is the president, he still cannot change the basic U.S. position.¬ Like previous presidents, he must pay attention to U.S. national interests, to values and issues related to American values such as “democracy” and “human rights” and to promote these “universal human values”, stressing the inherent worth of the individual.¬ From this perspective, no matter whether we are talking about Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama, there can be no basic change on the issue of Tibet.¬ This position is determined by U.S. interests, the values of Americans, and the needs of U.S. domestic politics and not by Obama himself.
¬ ¬ ¬ There are some U.S. government officials and some think tank experts who often visit Tibet and hear Chinese points of view, particularly those of scholars and local people.¬ This includes some outstanding American scholars on Tibet, such as Melvyn Goldstein (author of “A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State” and a famed anthropologist).¬ I have noticed that some American field researchers in the fields of anthropology and sociology who often come to Tibet are more objective and realistic. That being the case, although the Chinese and American scholars have different ideas, it is much easier than before for them to understand one another and to communicate.¬ Conversely, those Tibet experts and some U.S. media who have never been to Tibet, are still focusing on out-of-date ideas and issues.
On the question of American influence over the Tibet Issue, Tenzin says, “In the 1950s, America trained Tibetan armed rebel fighters for its own strategic interests and goals, but once it needed them no longer, especially after the establishment of U.S. – China diplomatic relations, they dropped them.   Therefore, we advise the Dalai Lama not to have any fantasy on foreign governments including the US government. As a man with Tibetan historical responsibility, the Dalai Lama should come back as soon as possible and have talk with the Central government in order to complete his historical tasks.”
That¬ [human rights report] that the U.S. State Department puts out every year is an expression of U.S. values and positions and consistent with the long-standing attitude of the U.S. towards the rule of the Communist Party in China, so there is nothing surprising about it.¬ This expression of their concern, as a foreign policy and strategy, will not change fundamentally. Of course that they notice and recognize China’s progress in protecting religious freedom, properly understood, is also a matter of the “progress of the U.S. State Department”. Conversely, with the election of Obama as the U.S. president, we can also recognize that the U.S. is making progress in its racial policy. In fact, sixty years ago China established its policy that all the nationalities are equal.

¬ ¬ ¬ ¬ On the Tibet issue, U.S. traditional values and understandings of the situation still predominate. However, since the establishment of U.S. – China relations and the beginning of reform and opening 30 years ago, as contact between the officials and scholars of the two countries steadily increased, more and more Americans came to understand Tibet better, gradually changed their previous understanding of the situation. More and more Americans came to appreciate and praise the progress that Tibetan society has been making.

However, most Americans do not understand the Tibetan reality or perhaps better they are not willing to get acquainted with this reality. They were born with distaste for the words of the Communist Party.¬ They think that actual events that happened in China are just communist propaganda.¬ Many people remain stuck in the past and believe only what the Dalai Lama says, because they have been listening to that voice for decades. Changing the attitudes of these people is not easy.

Moreover, our way of doing exchanges, introducing China and our way of expressing ourselves is not mature. We take too tough an approach and are not flexible enough, especially in our dealings with U.S. think tanks, the U.S. Congress and the U.S. media. In our foreign relations we are not as active and dynamic as we are in our economic relations. This is an obstacle.

In response to a question from the Dongfang Zaobao if there was a question he wanted to ask Obama, Tenzin said his question is, “President Obama, have you ever thought about visiting the roof of the world to see the beautiful Tibet? When do you plan to go?”

Selected from: http://tinyurl.com/yb2ewqu