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The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

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st<strong>and</strong> some Western scholars who try to offer balanced<br />

analyses. Nevertheless, all should bear <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that<br />

there is no agreement on this controversial matter.<br />

<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>’s position is repeatedly stated <strong>in</strong> a number<br />

of government White Papers on Tibet <strong>and</strong> Tibet-related<br />

issues. Its key claims are as follows: 168<br />

• Tibet has been an <strong>in</strong>separable part of <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong><br />

s<strong>in</strong>ce antiquity (西藏自古以来就是中国不可分<br />

割的一部分).<br />

• In 641, the founder of unified Tibet, Songtsen<br />

Gampo (松赞干布), negotiated a marriage with<br />

Ch<strong>in</strong>ese Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Wen Cheng (文成公主) <strong>and</strong> a<br />

niece of the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese Tang Emperor. Tibet <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> subsequently became relatives. (Note: by<br />

virtue of this marriage, Songtsen Gampo <strong>and</strong><br />

the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese emperor Tang Taizong [唐太宗]<br />

had an “uncle-niece relationship” [甥舅关系].<br />

In accordance with Confucius’ teach<strong>in</strong>g, it implied<br />

a hierarchical junior-senior relationship<br />

between the two nations.)<br />

• In 823, Tibet <strong>and</strong> <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> signed the Tang (<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>)-<br />

Tubo (Tibet) Peace Treaty (唐蕃长庆会盟). <strong>The</strong><br />

two therefore were united as one.<br />

• In 1271, the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty<br />

<strong>and</strong> unified a war-torn <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>. Tibet was<br />

also part of the Mongol conquest <strong>and</strong> subsequently<br />

became an adm<strong>in</strong>istrative region directly<br />

under the adm<strong>in</strong>istration of the central<br />

government of Yuan.<br />

• Every Ch<strong>in</strong>ese government s<strong>in</strong>ce then—the<br />

M<strong>in</strong>g, Q<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> ROC—has followed the Yuan<br />

practice of exercis<strong>in</strong>g sovereign <strong>and</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />

control over Tibet.<br />

• In 1727, the Q<strong>in</strong>g assigned the first high commissioner<br />

to be stationed <strong>in</strong> Tibet.<br />

156

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