Embrace Communist rule, China tells Tibet on 70th anniversary of invasion

All Tibetans should embrace Communist party rule and share the “cultural symbols and images of the Chinese nation”, a senior Chinese official has said at an event celebrating 70 years since the People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet. Wang Yang, a member of the politburo standing committee, China’s most powerful political body, made the remarks during a lavish ceremony in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the sacred home of Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leaders.

It comes amid a crackdown on border regions home to ethnic minorities, such as Tibet, and the practice of non-Han cultures and religions. According to the official state media outlet, the Xinhua news agency, Wang called for increased efforts to ensure all religions in China were “Chinese in orientation”, and said Tibetan Buddhism needed guidance in adapting to socialist society. He said Chinese culture was a bond that fostered togetherness.

“Only by following the [Chinese Communist party] leadership and pursuing the path of socialism, can Tibet achieve development and prosperity,” said Wang, according to Xinhua.

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