Amidst the profound realms of Tibet near its frontiers with India and Bhutan, China undertakes the establishment of numerous settlements, punctuated by ceremonious events commemorating its acquisition of Tibet. Reports from official sources delineate the amalgamation of border forces and indigenous populations in these newly minted border hamlets.
In an era where Tibet is commonly referred to as Xizang within Chinese discourse, the narrative of the region has undergone a transformation. March 28th, christened as Democratic Reform Day, now signifies the termination of the Dalai Lama’s dominion, culminating in his exile to India in 1959, juxtaposed against the Chinese military incursion into Tibet in 1951.
The 65th anniversary of the abolition of feudalism in China’s southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region, marked by grandiose celebrations and commemorative ceremonies, reverberates across the land, as relayed by the state-run Xinhua news agency. Echoes of this commemoration resonate particularly in the newly established border enclaves dotting the frontiers with India and Bhutan, as articulated by the state-controlled Global Times.
China’s ambitious venture to erect fully-equipped settlements along its borders with India and Bhutan has elicited apprehensions from both nations. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, three such settlements, bedecked with modern edifices to house both civilians and military personnel, have materialized along the disputed Bhutanese boundary, ostensibly under the guise of poverty alleviation endeavors, yet concurrently bolstering national security fortifications.
Enumerated in the annals of the Global Times, the burgeoning tally of 624 such settlements peppered along the borderlands heralds a new epoch of development and introspection in Xizang. Yan Jinhai, the deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China’s Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee and the chairperson of the People’s Government of Xizang Autonomous Region, underscores the region’s infrastructural prowess, boasting ubiquitous broadband connectivity and 4G signal coverage. He pledges a concerted effort to strike a balance between military deployment and civilian habitation, with a paramount focus on bolstering border integrity and fostering the well-being of border denizens.
In the precincts of Yadong county, nestled within the southern fringes of Xigaze city and intersecting with the Indian and Bhutanese frontiers, a cavalcade of festivities unfolds across its townships. Similar jubilations transpire in Medog county, nestled in the southern hinterlands of Nyingchi, alongside the nascent urban enclave of Cona, situated along the China-India divide.