Remarks of the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada on Tibetan Separatist Penpa Tsering’s Visit to Canada

驻加拿大大使馆
2022-05-09 17:42

Recently, in disregard of China’s solemn position, Canada has allowed Penpa Tsering, the leader of the so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile”, to visit Canada, and arranged for him to appear at a hearing before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons, where he spread “Tibetan independence” remarks flagrantly. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this, and has lodged stern representations with the Canadian side.

The so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile” is a separatist political organization with the agenda of pursuing “Tibetan independence”. It is completely in violation of China's Constitution and laws, and is not recognized by any country in the world. Penpa Tsering, as the head of the illegal organization, is utterly an anti-China separatist. He makes such visits with the purpose of peddling the proposition of “Tibetan independence” and making Tibetan affairs an international issue,which in essence are anti-China separatist activities. At the above-mentioned hearing, Penpa Tsering openly claimed that “Tibet is not a part of China”, which once again exposed his true face of a Tibetan separatist. 

On the so-called “China-Tibet Dialogue”, I want to emphasize that we do not recognize the so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile” at all and the Chinese Central Government will never negotiate with such an illegal organization. Only the Chinese Central Government and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region are the representatives of the Tibetan people, and no one else has the right to do so.

On the reincarnation of the Panchen Erdeni, the Chinese government pursues policies of freedom of religious belief, including respecting and protecting the reincarnation of Living Buddhas, an institution of succession in Tibetan Buddhism. For the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Erdeni and other grand Living Buddhas, a complete set of methods and procedures have been established over the centuries, and the religious rituals and historical conventions as well as the Chinese laws need to be complied with in this process. The 14th Dalai Lama is an anti-China separatist under the cloak of religion, and he took the liberty of declaring a child as the reincarnation of the Panchen Erdeni in order to carry out anti-China separatist political hype to the detriment of religious rituals and in disregard of historical conventions. This is illegal and invalid. The so-called reincarnated spiritual child is just an ordinary Chinese citizen living a normal life.

Currently, Tibet is enjoying a stable social environment, economic and cultural prosperity, and the people there live in happiness and contentment. The freedom of religious belief of people of all ethnic groups in Tibet is fully protected in accordance with the law. Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection and development of Tibetan culture, the study and use of the Tibetan language is protected by law. The human rights situation in Tibet is at its best in history. This is an undeniable fact for any unbiased individual.

I want to reiterate that Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. This is a fact recognized by all countries including Canada. Tibetan affairs are purely China’s domestic affairs that brook no interference by any foreign force. China urges the Canadian side to immediately stop meddling in China's internal affairs and undermining the development and stability of Tibet under the pretext of Tibet-related issues, and offer no support to the “Tibetan independence” forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities. Otherwise, China will make strong and resolute response.