Seventy-five years later, it remains the responsibility of the Tibetan media, writers, and scholars to challenge the Chinese state propaganda with historical evidence, legal reasoning, and precise political terminology. The issue is not merely about history; it is also about language and the political meanings hidden within words.
The Chinese government continues to claim that “Tibet has been part of China since ancient times” and that the People’s Liberation Army merely “peacefully liberated” it in 1951. Yet, historical reality tells a very different story. Prior to 1951, Tibet functioned as a de facto independent state with its own government, currency, army, passports, and foreign relations. Tibet was not administered as a province or local region of China.