President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for an all-out-effort to cultivate national unity in Tibetan autonomous areas and fight against separatism.

He made this comment against the backdrop of persistent agitations from Tibetans at home and abroad for sovereignty from China. 

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The Chinese government claims Tibet as part of her national territory. Therefore, when the Communist Party of China consolidated control of the mainland in 1950, representatives of the government and the Dalai Lama (the de facto head of the theocratic state) negotiated a historic agreement. The Seventeen Point Agreement officially cemented Chinese control of the region - albeit it was granted autonomy.

This agreement was later thrown-under-the-bus following the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. The 14th Dalai Lama subsequently went on exile and has repeatedly repudiated the Seventeen Point Agreement. There have been several protests (including self immolation) by Tibetans for independence since then. Activists claim the Chinese government is curtailing the rights of Tibetans and undermining their culture.

President Xi has explained that efforts should be focused on "ensuring national unity and consolidating ethnic unity" in Tibet. 

"We should help people of various ethnic groups understand, support, appreciate and study from each other," he explained.

President Xi highlighted the need to engender a sense of patriotism among Tibetans and also promote the ideals of socialism. He also noted that religious doctrines expounded by Tibetans Buddhists should be compatible with those of the Communist Party.

Xi explained that ensuring stability in Tibet is crucial to ensuring good government in the entire country. He condemned separatism and vowed to clamp down on all efforts to separate the country. 

Recently, the Chinese-state media reported that the government is set to install three additional unmanned radars in the Himalayan region. Currently, the government has only one radar in the area. Experts say this would go a long way to improve security in Tibet and strengthen the government's control of the region.

At the center of the unrest in Tibet is issue of the exiled Dalai Lama and the selection of his successor. Chinese state media have underscored the fact that the central government plays a "vital role"in the selection of the next Dalai Lama. However, experts say this is unlikely to go down well with the Dalai Lama, who has said that he may be the last leader of the "Yellow Hat" Tibetan Buddhists.

TagsChina Tibet Autonomous Region, China Tibet Conflict, China Tibet War, China Dalai Lama Conflict, China Dalai Lama Propaganda