Whole Awareness – The Burden of Tibet’s Unequal Yoking

The Burden of Tibet’s Unequal Yoking

**TIBET AWARENESS – UNEQUAL YOKING. TIBET IS SUBJECT TO BURDEN IMPOSED BY UNEQUAL YOKING WITH A MONSTROUS BEAST, UNEQUAL IN SIZE AND POWER.**

Red China, using military force, yoked with Tibet. To perform farm work, farmers generally use two animals of same type, size, and strength to get work done without imposing unequal burden on animals yoked together. Red China is a huge, monstrous beast, and her Unequal Yoking with Tibet imposes burden called Subjection, Bondage, Servitude, Enslavement, Hardship, Trouble, Pain, and Suffering upon Tibetans.

Tibet is under the Yoke of Burden, Control, Subjugation to become subservient to Red China’s Doctrine of Neocolonialism.

THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT TIBET – FUN AND INTERESTING FACTS

Clipped from: https://www.onceinalifetimejourney.com/once-in-a-lifetime-journeys/9-things-surprised-tibet/

**Tibet Awareness – Unequal Yoking. The Burden of Military Occupation.**

The country at the roof of the world, was very different from what I expected. Tibet, often considered the spiritual center of the world has more Buddhist monks, stupas and gods than any other place, yet it was anything but the peaceful and calm realm I had envisioned. Not that the available online resources lie about it, but more that there is a general lack of information beyond the Dalai Lama and the Chinese-Tibetan political situation, so my mind veered towards red-robed monks and the magical image of the Potala Palace. The list of things that surprised me about Tibet is quite long, but I will attempt to highlight the most relevant, the top 17 things that most people don’t know about Tibet or that will surprise any traveler to the oft-called Shangri-la.

1. Tibet facts – Tibet is developed and it has incredible infrastructure

**Tibet Awareness – Unequal Yoking. Red China’s Subjugation of Tibet.**

I visited with the utopian idea in my head that Tibet was going to be a peaceful and isolated place resembling Bhutan. But Tibet, or the Tibetan Autonomous Region, is a Chinese occupied territory that became part of China in 1950 and, as a result, for good or for bad, infrastructure has developed dramatically. Even the road that leads to the world’s highest mountain, Everest, is paved almost all the way, a far cry from the 9-14 day trek from Lukla Airport (the world’s most dangerous airport) to reach the Nepalese equivalent. In fact, we drove all the way to 5,200m to the tourist Everest Base Camp. Roads throughout the country are smooth and paved, including the Friendship Highway that links Shanghai with Kathmandu and runs for 5,900km, practically crossing Tibet.

Countless electricity lines crisscross the arid landscapes, at times, several electricity posts slashed my photographs. Even the most remote of villages have electricity and solar panels. Why? Tibet is China’s richest province, with deep reserves of gold, copper and other precious and valuable resources and infrastructure is essential to mine and exploit this natural wealth. As our train to Lhasa glided through the middle of nowhere, high up in the Tibetan Plateau, the lights of trucks carrying minerals to processing factories provided a continuous source of light in the darkest of nights. Those factories lit the horizon in sudden outbursts. Next to them, nomad villages built to accommodate the workers supporting the factories sprung as if mushrooming from the rocks and sand. There were many, and we were to see even more across Tibet.

2. Tibet facts – The issue of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama

**Tibet Awareness – Unequal Yoking. The Great Problem of Tibet.**

The 14th Dalai Lama left Tibet after disagreement with the Chinese government about his successor, which made it too dangerous for him to stay and has lived in exile in Dharamsala, India, ever since. This shows his opposition to the occupation and his demands for true autonomy (not independence) for Tibet. The Chinese government recognizes Buddhism, a religion that is widely spread in the country despite communism, but nominated their own Panchen Lama, the successor to the Dalai Lama, in 1995, six years after the death of the previous Panchen Lama, following a traditional process using a golden urn that was used for the 10th, 11th and 12th Dalai Lamas. Their choice did not match that of the current Dalai Lama, whose successor has been kept in an unknown location in China ever since.

The Panchen Lama nominated by the Chinese Government has been receiving education in Buddhism and Tibetan culture since his enthronement at the Panchen Lama’s seat in Xigatse. His photograph can be seen across Tibet whereas having a photo of the 14th Dalai Lama is illegal and can carry fines or imprisonment. Tibetans often claim this misalignment about who the next Dalai Lama will be as the main attempt by the Chinese to eradicate Tibetan culture and identity.

3. Tibet facts – The highest country on the planet

**Tibet Awareness – Unequal Yoking. Natural Freedom violated by Unnatural Occupation.**

When I visited Bhutan I thought I was high. High on life, high on spirituality and high up in the mountains! One of the country’s nickname, “The Kingdom in the clouds”, clearly reflects its high altitude, with the capital at 2,300m and several peaks above 7,000m. Bhutan ranks as the highest country in the world when average altitudes are taken, despite some of the lowest parts are almost at sea level.

But that is just because Tibet is not officially recognized as a country by the UN because of Chinese veto, so it is just a region of China. Before Chinese occupation, Lhasa was the highest capital in the world as per the Guinness World Book of Records, but La Paz in Bolivia has taken that prize since Tibet became a part of China.

What makes Tibet’s altitude extra special is that, not only does it have the highest mountain in the world (Mount Everest), but also the highest average altitudes at 4,575m above sea level, the highest road, the highest toilet, the highest town (Whenzuan), the highest monastery and the highest train. Everything in Tibet is made of superlatives. We drove up mountain passes that are at 5,200m, we used the highest toilet in the world, located on the same mountain pass top, we took the train to Lhasa, which climbs to 4,500m and visited the world’s highest monastery, Rongbuk, at the foot of Everest Base Camp. Altitude is an undetachable synonym with Tibet.

4. Tibet facts – 40% less oxygen

Tibet Awareness – Unequal Yoking. Natural Conditions, Natural Factors, Natural Mechanisms, and Natural Events produce Natural Freedom in Tibet.

Tibet’s high altitude is the cause for the traveler’s worst nightmare: Altitude sickness. Because it is so high, the pressure is lower giving the sensation that there is less oxygen. I have extensively covered the topic of altitude sickness, because we felt it and felt it badly, but what I found most interesting is that it is not possible to descend in Tibet, the lowest altitude is already a whooping 3,500m above sea level.

5. Tibet facts – Permits, permits, permits

Getting to Tibet is not particularly difficult. Travel restrictions have been lifted and you can go on a small private tour like I did with WildChina, without issues. It was a similar process to that for North Korea. You cannot travel independently, but you can pretty much visit anything as long as you are entering with a tour company. And, unlike North Korea, you can freely wander the streets or explore anything without a chaperon.

However, visiting Tibet does require a lot of planning ahead. You will need a Chinese visa first, which is required by almost all citizens and can take up to two weeks to process depending on your country of residence and which can be very costly (US$100 in Singapore). With a photocopy of that in hand, the travel agent will apply for a Tibetan permit which will be linked to your detailed itinerary. The permit can take anything from a week to 3 weeks so you should start the entire process about two months ahead to ensure everything is done on time as the processing timelines vary vastly from country to country (e.g. one of my friends took 2 weeks for the Chinese visa and 3 days for the Permit whereas I took 3 days for the visa and 3 weeks for the permit).

The permit is your passport into the Tibetan Autonomous Region and will be checked and rechecked a million times throughout the trip. Your guide will keep the permit with him or her throughout your stay. Every time you reach a new village the guide will be registering you, even for just one night, with the local Police, so your whereabouts are being monitored at all times. There were also 20 road checks through our 9 day journey and we were thoroughly scrutinized at the train station and airport before boarding. If you plan to visit Everest Base Camp, then you will need an additional permit and to go through a Military check-point at the park’s entry.

6. Tibet facts – Big Brother is watching

The controls of visitors extend to the cars as well. All cars that take tourists around the country are owned by the government and kitted with two cameras and a radio system that communicates a central office to all the drivers. The cameras are constantly monitoring the driver and making sure that he is not doing anything against the Chinese rules. Every time the speed went above the marked limit, a message came through on the radio speakers to slow down. The speakers also shared a regular amount of updates and reminders about safety on the road. It was a constant reminder that our every move was being watched.

7. Tibet facts – Cold and high, but without snow

I was expecting the landscapes to be rocky, mountainous and majestic and for the snow to cap all mountain tops but Tibetan landscapes are rather brown and grey with very little snow. In fact, although we saw some snowflakes as we traversed the highest pass, at 5,200m, the majority of the mountains were devoid of that delicate white veil that tops other mountain ranges. Our guide confirmed that it does snow very little in Tibet and that pretty much all the snow we were seeing was permanent. The glaciers, receding as a result of global warming, were also perennial. The lack of snow is caused by the high Himalayan mountains that stop the clouds from emptying their bowels and providing rain or snow.

8. Tibet facts – Tibet was not always a peaceful nation

I associated Tibet with peace, not least because the Dalai Lama has been an example of opposition to the Chinese occupation, something which got him the Nobel Peace Prize. But Tibet’s past wasn’t always as spiritual and peaceful as Buddhism advocates. Tibetan Kings fought and defended Tibet from assailants for centuries. Remnants of Medieval fortresses, city walls and castles can be seen across the country. Unlike Bhutan, who was never occupied by an international power, the English had several incursions in Tibet, as did the Mongols, Indians, Afghans, Nepali and various Chinese dynasties. So monks, and the Tibetan Kings, were a fearless army defending their territory since the 17th century until the Chinese occupation in the 1950s.

9. Tibet facts – Yak meat, yak butter, yak hair

Tibet’s high altitudes and harsh conditions make life extremely hard and yaks are the lifeline for most Tibetans. Yak meat, leaner and lighter than beef, is ever present. Yaks are also used for milk and butter and their hair is used to make rugs and clothes, even to weave the cover ups that protect the Potala Palace – delicate paintings and carvings from the sun. Even yak dung is collected and dried to be used as fuel in the winter months. However, yaks are an endangered species and most of the animals seen roaming the fields are actually a blend between yak and cow.

10. Tibet facts – Photos of the Dalai Lama are illegal

Almost everyone has a clear image in their heads of the current Dalai Lama. However, carrying or having his photo in Tibet could lead to imprisonment and punishment. None of the houses or temples we visited had any. Instead, the Panchen Lama, nominated by the Chinese Government, is to be displayed in homes and businesses. The prohibition extends to the Tibetan Flag, which does not fly anywhere in the country. Bright Chinese flags are hung on rooftop of houses, next to the colorful prayer flags.

11. Tibet facts – Shangri-la is the result of a misspelling

Tibet is often referred to as the Shangri-la. The word has no meaning in Tibetan, although La does mean mountain pass and is attached to the end of all passes in Tibet. The word was first coined by the writer of the most famous novel about Tibet, Lost Horizon, in 1933. James Hilton probably misunderstood the word Shambala, which has a similar meaning in Tibetan Buddhism, and wrote Shangri-la instead. Since then, the word has been assimilated to a mythical place somewhere high in the mountains, a Heaven of sorts, a paradise on Earth, and is even the brand name of a luxury hotel chain whose eponymous Lhasa hotel I stayed at during my visit.

12. Tibet facts – The prostrations

I had seen some images of devout Buddhists prostrating in key Buddhist temples and landmarks but nothing could prepare me for the absolute devotion and extreme prostrations that some engage in. Some people would spend their entire day prostrating and praying, continuously kneeling down and lying flat on the floor then standing up again. Most will be dressed appropriately, with hand and knee protection to allow them to glide. At some particularly holy places, like in front of the Jokhang Monastery or the Potala Palace, some extreme devotees would prostrate in the middle of the pavement and receive donations from passers-by.

13. Tibet facts – The toilets

I cannot talk about things which surprised me about Tibet and not mention the toilets. Although there are public toilets across the cities and main road stops, they smelled so bad and were so dirty at times that we opted for the nature toilet: behind a rock (because there are no trees in the mountains). Bringing wet wipes and tissue is not enough, one needs to bring a sort of perfume to put a couple of drops under the nose to enter some of the public toilets. All of Tibet’s toilets, barring the hotels, are squat toilets consisting of a hole on the floor with a drop which may sometimes not be very long. There are no doors to the public toilets which often times will have more than one hole next to each other. You may do your thing next to someone who is doing her thing, in the open. And if that was not enough, many people miss and the toilets are never cleaned. You get the picture. This remained the main topic of discussion among my group, a source of constant jokes and laughter, as we hunted for the cleanest, least smelling holes. I will leave it there.

14. Tibet facts – Kora

Tibetans go on walking and praying pilgrimages around main landmarks and monasteries. Much like the Camino de Santiago or the trip to Mecca, only shorter and more frequent. These walks are called Kora and can be taken around any monastery. The most common one is the one in Lhasa, around the Potala Palace or the Sera Monastery. Locals pray as they walk around, many of them will spin prayer wheels like in Bhutan. Some of the Kora can take up to a full day and the elderly may repeat them every day.

15. Tibet facts – Temple smell

All temples and monasteries in Tibet have the same common smell of yak butter used in the butter lamps and fresh incense also burned across the country in houses and burners that can be found in public places.

16. Tibet facts – Paying for photographs

In Bhutan taking photos of temples and monasteries is simply not allowed. The interiors of the Buddhist buildings are usually covered from floor to ceiling with paintings and offerings in bright colors and gold and they are incredible to see and experience and provide a deep sense of spirituality. In Tibet you can photograph almost every landmark and interior as long as you pay a donation. At first we were surprised but relaxed as the money seemed more like a voluntary donation which we diligently dropped in bowls. But in some monasteries the monks would chase us for the donation, making us drop cameras for those who did not pay to avoid any photos being taken, and the initially innocuous amount started to amount to a small fortune as some temples started to ask for up to US$350 per hall for video, like in Shigatse. At US$2-4 per hall and an average of 3-5 halls worthwhile per monasteries I probably spent upwards of US$100 in photo donations, on top of the entry tickets. Considering these were religious places that were already filled with pilgrim donations (and stacks of money were stuffed inside God’s enclosures), the additional donation started to feel a bit much.

17. Tibet facts – Commercialized Everest Base Camp

I can speak for myself, who paid a handsome amount to take a helicopter to the Nepali Base Camp well before this was a commercial venture offered to tourists. But on the Tibetan side, thanks to very good infrastructure, the Base Camp has been commercialized extensively. We slept 8km from the climber’s Base Camp in a tourist tented camp which advertised free WiFi and was filled with souvenir stalls albeit it offered very basic accommodation at sub-zero temperatures without heating. The Chinese government has announced plans to build a resort, museum and helipad a few kilometers from Base Camp, in Gangkar, to offer greater comfort and drive more tourism dollars into the country, although most visitors to Tibet are still local Chinese from other provinces. Serious trekkers no longer consider Everest a hard climb since so many people are attempting and reaching the summit every year. I can tell you the acclimatization to 5,200m was very tough.

18. Tibet facts – Speed limits

We regularly saw cars stopped in the middle of the road. The Chinese authorities control speed limits in a very comical and questionable way: By putting road controls and checking how long it took you to get from one to the next. The speed limits on the road are low, about 35 km/h for many roads, making the trips longer than they should take given the great infrastructure. I already discussed before that the tourism vehicles cannot surpass the speed limit and if you do, the driver gets an announcement through the radio system. But, in addition, most roads have controls. You will get a stamp on a paper with the time you crossed the previous one and the policeman will check that it took you the stipulated amount of time to cover the distance. This was not an issue for us because we were not in a rush and were making plenty of photo stops. But the locals had to stop by the side of the road to waste some time before going through controls or speed cameras.

DOOMED AMERICAN CHINA FANTASY – ONE BELT, ONE ROAD TO OPPRESSION

DOOMED AMERICAN CHINA FANTASY – ONE BELT, ONE ROAD TO OPPRESSION

America’s participation in Red China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative accomplishes continued Occupation, Oppression, and Suppression in Tibet undermining American core values of Freedom, Peace, Democracy, and Natural Justice.

Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4162 USA
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE

http://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/oneindia-epaper-oneindia/us+u+turn+on+china+puts+india+in+a+fix-newsid-67592793?ss=twt&s=wi

US U-turn on China puts India in a fix

In a step which could see India put under tremendous pressure, the United States of America has decided to take a U-Turn from its initial position and is set to participate in China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, being organised in Beijing.

The event, is to showcase and build momentum for its new 21st-century silk route, both land and maritime, and other similar initiatives which would lead to increasing connectivity with Asian and European countries and solidify its place in the world as a major trading partner.
In India, along with concerns over its sovereignty, it is also seen as a continuation of Chinese strategy of ‘strings of pearls’ which China uses to flex its muscle in India’s neighbourhood.

The step of the US has put India in a dilemma as the change in its stance is early signal that the Trump administration is reframing the US-China relationship, according to Jagannath Panda, from the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, New Delhi.

India, which is still undecided on whether to send its representatives to the event to be held this Sunday and Monday, maintains that China has not built an environment of trust to carry out the belt and road projects.

The country’s concerns on the Chinese project stem from what it perceives to be a lack of regard shown to issues raised by it that projects which are part of OBOR impinge its sovereignty.

For example, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a part of the larger project, by which China is set to link the Xinjiang province with the Gwadar port in Pakistan and is to be built-in Balochistan, passes through Gilgit-Baltistan region which India claims as its own.

Concerns such as these have led to the serious thoughts whether to send representatives to the event or not and if yes, officials of what level are to attend. Reports have claimed that the country may be represented by junior embassy level officials.
The thinking is that even if it does not attend, it may not lead to any immediate material loss to it as OBOR is not a membership-based organisation, and may even get India praise in certain quarters for taking a principled stand.

Other than officials, academics from India may be present at the meet which is to see representation from over 50 countries including organisations such the World Bank.

The US has now decided to send senior representation to the event, with an inter-agency delegation led by Matthew Pottinger, a top adviser to the Trump administration and National Security Council senior director for East Asia to take part.

But many see it to be a trade-off between the country and China after the latter’s commitment to buy American beef as part of the Donald Trump’s 100-day plan’ agreement, and in return, the US will not only attend the event but also allow Chinese banks to expand their operation in the US.

The decision seems to be a direct result of the meeting between Trump and the Chinese President Xi Jinping when the Chinese leader visited the US last month. Chinese vice-finance minister Zhu Guangyao is reported to have said, ‘We welcome all countries to attend. And we welcome the United States’ attendance as the world’s largest economy.’

Out of the representatives of different countries, head of state’s of more than 29 countries are to be present for the programme. And now with the entry of the US into the fray, along with countries like Britain and Germany, China’s dominant position in the programme may be somewhat diluted.

Other countries that are taking part include Japan and South Korea, which have military differences with China, as well as other countries engaged in territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea issue, including Vietnam and Indonesia. Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will also take part.

China may be put under pressure on the issue of transparency as other developed countries may ask for more details related to its plans, and whether it would follow internationally accepted standards on environment and labour in the projects which include six economic corridors but have not seen any reliable map made available.

According to reports, Tom Miller, author of a recent book, China’s Asian Dream, said, ‘What actually gets built will depend on what deals Chinese companies or the government make with other countries, abroad or on the deals that the Chinese government makes with other governments abroad, and no one knows exactly what those are going to be.’

OneIndia News

**Doomed American China Fantasy – One Belt, One Road to Oppression.** On tibettruth.com

**Doomed American China Fantasy – One Belt, One Road to Oppression.** **On forcechange.com**

Whole Colonialism – Red China’s Road to Conquest and Subjugation

The Evil Red Empire – The Road to Conquest and Subjugation

**Whole Colonialism – Red China’s Road to Conquest and Subjugation**

Red China, often recognized as ‘The Evil Red Empire’ is reshaping the world as per its doctrine of Neocolonialism. In the historical past, Colonial Powers of Europe conquered countries using military power to establish Colonies with intent to dominate Land, People and their economic resources. Red China’s Neocolonialism involves use of Economic Power to gain acceptance of other countries to its plan of Expansionism. Red China achieved this military and economic power after her successful military conquest of Tibet in 1950s. Red China’s ‘One Belt-One Road’ (OBOR) simply reflects the reality of Military Conquest and Political Subjugation of Tibet.

**The Evil Red Empire – The Road to Conquest and Subjugation**

Xi’s $500 billion push to reshape the World in China’s image

Clipped from: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/xis-dollar500-billion-push-to-reshape-the-world-in-chinas-image/ar-BBB26Nn?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

China is one of the few countries in the world today with money to spend, and Xi Jinping is ready to write some checks.

China’s president will host some 28 world leaders in Beijing on Sunday at the first Belt and Road Forum, the centerpiece of a soft-power push backed by hundreds of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects. More than 100 countries on five continents have signed up, showing the demand for global economic cooperation despite rising protectionism in the U.S. and Europe.

For Xi, the initiative is designed to solidify his image as one of the world’s leading advocates of globalization while U.S. President Donald Trump cuts overseas funds in the name of “America First.” The summit aims to ease concerns about China’s rise and boost Xi’s profile at home, where he’s become the most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping died in 1997.

The Belt and Road Initiative “will likely be Xi’s most lasting legacy,” said Trey McArver, the London-based director of China research for TS Lombard, an investment research company. “It has the potential to remake global — particularly Asian — trade and economic patterns.”

The strategy also carries risks. The initiative is so far little more than a marketing slogan that encompasses all sorts of projects that China had initiated overseas for years, and major world leaders like Trump, Angela Merkel and Shinzo Abe are staying away. How Xi answers a range of outstanding questions will go a long way in determining its success.

Key to reducing uncertainty will be addressing the concerns of strategic rivals like India, Russia and the U.S., particularly as China’s growing military prowess lets it be more assertive over disputed territory. Chinese moves to spend more than $50 billion on an economic corridor in Pakistan, build a port in Djibouti and construct oil pipelines in central Asia are all creating infrastructure that could be used to challenge traditional powers.

“China needs to recognize that the way it perceives the Belt and Road Initiative is not necessarily the same way others will,” said Paul Haenle, a former China director on the U.S. National Security Council who now heads the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing. For countries like the U.S., he said, “it’s impossible not to view the BRI through a geopolitical lens — a Chinese effort to build a sphere of influence.”

**Xi’s $500 billion push to reshape the World in China’s image**

© Bloomberg News Chinese president Xi Jinping

Excess Capacity

In September 2013, when Xi first pitched the plan at an obscure Kazakhstan university, he focused on the Eurasia landmass. Since then, it has repeatedly changed names and expanded to include the entire world, with the main goal of rebuilding the ancient trading routes from China to Europe overland and by sea.

One key driver was economic: China wants to spur growth in underdeveloped hinterlands and find more markets for excess industrial capacity. With more than $3 trillion in international reserves — more than a quarter of the world’s total — China has more resources than developed economies struggling to hit budget targets.

The plan gained steam last year when populist movements spurred a backlash against trade and immigration in the U.S. and Europe. Brexit raised questions about the European Union’s viability, while Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership gutted the biggest U.S. push to shape global economic rules.

Trade Champion

“It was very disappointing, and it makes us feel that there is a big vacuum that Belt and Road can help to fill,” Cheah Cheng Hye, chairman and co-chief investment officer at the Hong Kong-based Value Partners Group. “So all of sudden, we begin to appreciate this Chinese initiative.”

Xi wasted no time filling the void. With exporting nations looking for a free-trade champion, he told the global elite in Davos, Switzerland, to resist protectionism and join China in boosting global commerce.

The U.S. and Europe “almost unwittingly” created space for Xi to push China’s interests, according to Peter Cai, research fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

“China is offering an alternative to the U.S. version of globalization,” Cai said. “In the Chinese case, it’s globalization paved by concrete: railways, highways, pipelines, ports.”

Related gallery: 33 giant Chinese infrastructure projects that are reshaping the world (provided by Business Insider)

33 giant Chinese infrastructure projects that are reshaping the world

Draft Communique

This year, five European countries — Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, France and Italy — openly voiced support for the initiative. On trips to China in February, Italian President Sergio Mattarella proposed plans for the ports of Genoa and Trieste, while French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve attended the arrival ceremony of a freight train from Lyon.

The summit will feature the likes of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Greece’s Alexis Tsipras and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte. The U.S. and most Western countries are expected to send lower-level representatives.

A draft communique circulated before the event combined a commitment to open markets with endorsements of China’s diplomatic goals, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the document. It also generated some controversy among Beijing-based diplomats who said they didn’t have enough time to vet the document, underscoring the initiative’s potential to cause conflict.

$500 Billion

China has invested more than $50 billion in Belt and Road countries since 2013, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Credit Suisse Group AG said this month that China could pour more than $500 billion into 62 countries over five years.

China’s state-run companies like China National Petroleum Corp. and China Mobile Ltd. — the world’s largest wireless carrier — are positioned to reap the rewards. Executives from six of China’s largest state-run firms sought to reassure the public this week that the risks were manageable.

China’s three development banks, its Silk Road Fund and China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank were involved in $143 billion of lending outside of the country last year, up more than 140 percent from 2014, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Read More: Chinese Largesse Lures Countries to Its Belt and Road Initiative

Still, financial hurdles are starting to appear. China’s slowing economic growth has left fewer resources to spend overseas. Its international reserves have fallen about 6 percent over the past year, and China needs a healthy amount to defend the yuan.

Some previous Chinese ventures abroad have turned sour. While China’s no-strings-attached approach to investment is generally welcomed by developing countries, they often have poor credit ratings and questionable governance. China has struggled to recoup loans in Venezuela and Africa, and several projects in Central Asia have spurred protests. Announcements with big dollar signs often fail to materialize.

Nonetheless, Chinese scholars see the sum of Xi’s plan as bigger than any individual project. It represents a “profound change” in how China interacts with the world, according to Wang Yiwei, director of at Renmin University’s Institute of International Affairs in Beijing, who has written three books on the initiative.

“China has moved from a participant of globalization to a main leader,” he said. “It’s Globalization 2.0.”

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Ting Shi in Hong Kong at tshi31@bloomberg.net, Miao Han in Beijing at mhan22@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Brendan Scott

Cold War in Asia – Lesson . 23 – The Cultural Genocide in Tibet

Trouble in Tibet – Stop the Cultural Genocide

The Exiled Supreme Ruler of Tibet His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama expressed deep concern about Cultural Genocide in Occupied Tibet.

TROUBLE IN TIBET – STOP THE CULTURAL GENOCIDE: Disorienting social and economic change is under way in Tibet. The exiled Dalai Lama accuses China of “cultural genocide” (monasteries are being harassed, and in some parts of the plateau Chinese-language education erodes traditional ways).

UNPACIFIED PLATEAU: TIBET

Disorienting social and economic change is under way in Tibet. The exiled Dalai Lama accuses China of “cultural genocide” (monasteries are being harassed, and in some parts of the plateau Chinese-language education erodes traditional ways).

Government infrastructure investment in the Tibetan Autonomous Region has spurred mass tourism, but Tibetan resentment at missing out on tourism – and construction-related jobs was a big cause of rioting in Lhasa and elsewhere in 2008. Nor do the 6 million Tibetans (seen as troublemakers by China) migrate much to places with more opportunities: only around 1% have settled outside the plateau. The few private-sector jobs in Tibet mostly go to Han Chinese, so educated Tibetans mostly work for the government. The Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang, means “western treasure house” but Tibetans have little share in its spoils.

DOWNFALL OF RED DRAGON – REGIME CHANGE BY BOLIDE IMPACT

DOWNFALL OF RED DRAGON – REGIME CHANGE BY BOLIDE IMPACT

Natural History of planet Earth records sudden demise of Dinosaurs that lived for about 160 million years. Dinosaur Extinction is called Cretaceous – Tertiary or K-T Mass Extinction Event. This downfall of Dinosaurs is attributed to “BOLIDE” impact; a large Meteor or asteroid, or comet exploding in Earth’s atmosphere.

In Human History, powerful regimes have risen and have fallen down. But, there is no historical record of any empire’s downfall caused by ‘Bolide’ impact. Interestingly, The New Testament Book ‘REVELATION’ in Chapter 18 predicts Fall of Babylon by ‘Bolide’ impact. This prophecy has not yet come true.

I unsealed this prophecy for I am destined to be known as ‘Doomsayer of Doom Dooma’. For the first time in recorded Human History, I expect Regime Change by ‘Bolide’ Impact causing sudden Downfall of Evil Red Empire which is often represented by ‘Red Dragon’.

Rudranarasimham Rebbapragada
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4162 USA
SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 08/12/1990 – SKELETON OF T-REX DISCOVERED

**Downfall of Red Dragon – Regime Change by Bolide Impact. Tyrannosaurus rex Skeleton Discovered on August 12, 1990.**

A full Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is discovered on This Day in History. The date is August 12th. Susan Hendrickson, a paleontologist, discovers the T Rex in Faith, South Dakota.

Author: History.com Staff URL:http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/skeleton-of-tyrannosaurus-rex-discovered Publisher: A+E Networks

On this day in 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovers three huge bones jutting out of a cliff near Faith, South Dakota. They turn out to be part of the largest-ever Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered, a 65 million-year-old specimen dubbed Sue, after its discoverer.

Amazingly, Sue’s skeleton was over 90 percent complete, and the bones were extremely well-preserved. Hendrickson’s employer, the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, paid $5,000 to the land owner, Maurice Williams, for the right to excavate the dinosaur skeleton, which was cleaned and transported to the company headquarters in Hill City. The institute’s president, Peter Larson, announced plans to build a non-profit museum to display Sue along with other fossils of the Cretaceous period.

In 1992, a long legal battle began over Sue. The U.S. Attorney’s Office claimed Sue’s bones had been seized from federal land and were therefore government property. It was eventually found that Williams, a part-Native American and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, had traded his land to the tribe two decades earlier to avoid paying property taxes, and thus his sale of excavation rights to Black Hills had been invalid. In October 1997, Chicago’s Field Museum purchased Sue at public auction at Sotheby’s in New York City for $8.36 million, financed in part by the McDonald’s and Disney corporations.

Sue’s skeleton went on display at the Field Museum in May 2000. The tremendous T.rex skeleton–13 feet high at the hips and 42 feet long from head to toe–is displayed in one of the museum’s main halls. Another exhibit gives viewers a close-up view of Sue’s five foot-long, 2,000-pound skull with its 58 teeth, some as long as a human forearm.

Sue’s extraordinarily well-preserved bones have allowed scientists to determine many things about the life of T.rex. They have determined that the carnivorous dinosaur had an incredible sense of smell, as the olfactory bulbs were each bigger than the cerebrum, the thinking part of the brain. In addition, Sue was the first T.rex skeleton to be discovered with a wishbone, a crucial discovery that provided support for scientists’ theory that birds are a type of living dinosaur. One thing that remains unknown is Sue’s actual gender; to determine this, scientists would have to compare many more T.rex skeletons than the 22 that have been found so far.

Downfall of Red Dragon - Regime Change by Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide Events 1994 - 2014. — **Downfall of Red Dragon – Regime Change by Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide Events 1994 – 2013.**

Downfall of Red Dragon - Regime Change By Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide is large METEOR. — **Downfall of Red Dragon – Regime Change By Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide is large METEOR.**

Downfall of Red Dragon - Regime Change By Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide Impact Dinosaur Extinction. — **Downfall of Red Dragon – Regime Change By Bolide Impact. Refer to REVELATION, 18:1-24. Bolide Impact Dinosaur Extinction.**

Whole Tyrant – The Problem of Transparency in Communist Governance

Red China – The Problem of Transparency in Communist Governance

Communist China showcases her technological advancement by erecting structures such as Glass Walkway in Tianmen Mountain. Such use of technology is not resolving the problem of transparency in Communist Governance. In fact, the Glass Walkway symbolizes the lack of transparency of the dictatorial regime in Beijing. Red China must remove the Bamboo Curtain to reveal the full range of its oppressive measures to destroy Tibetan Culture and Identity.

TROUBLE IN TIBET - TRANSPARENCY IN COMMUNIST GOVERNANCE. MOUNTAIN SYMBOLIZES PROBLEM. — **Red China – The Problem of Transparency in Communist Governance: The Glass Walkway in Tianmen Mountain symbolizes the lack of transparency of the dictatorial regime in Beijing.**

Glass walkway opens in Tianmen mountain, China

**Red China – The Problem of Transparency in Communist Governance: The Glass Walkway in Tianmen Mountain symbolizes the lack of transparency of the dictatorial regime in Beijing.**

This terrifying construction is part of the latest addition to China’s glass bridge craze.

The Coiling Dragon path is in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan province, and a new section opened to tourists on Monday.

The 100-m walkway has 99 turns around the side of the sheer cliff face of Tianmen Mountain. For those immune to the terror of a vertical drop, it’s a perfect photo opp.

Reassuringly some tourists, in their protective shoes, appeared more keen to cling to the walls and just get it over with.

Braver tourists can enjoy spectacular views across the Hunan countryside. No, we’re not sure how this picture was taken either.

The Zhangjiajie park already offers tourists this – at 430 m (1,410 ft) and suspended over a 300 m-deep valley it is billed as the world’s longest glass bridge.

Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan Province. Red China – The Problem of Transparency in Communist Governance: The Glass Walkway in Tianmen Mountain symbolizes the lack of transparency of the dictatorial regime in Beijing. Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Showcases Unsafe Face of Communist Governance.

To assuage fears about safety, in June the park authorities deliberately cracked the glass then drove a car full of people over it. It was fine.

And for good measure, they hit it with a sledgehammer.

Whole Trouble – The Walk for Talks – How to get Red China to Walk to the Conference Table?

Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Road Block

**Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Occupied Tibet is impossible while Red China erects Road Block halting The Walk for Talks.**

The Road Map for Peace and Reconciliation in Occupied Tibet is presented as “Umaylam” or Middle Way Approach. However, Red China is unwilling to talk or negotiate with the Dalai Lama on the issue of introducing ‘Meaningful Autonomy’ in Occupied Tibet. While it is commendable to recommend ‘Talk’ as a tool for Peaceful Conflict Resolution, how to get Red China to Walk to The Conference Table? If China refuses to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution? Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Occupied Tibet is impossible while Red China erects Road Block halting The Walk for Talks.

Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga talked about the role of compassion to resolve conflicts in changing world. If China is Unwilling to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?

OUR OPINION: GOOD ADVICE FROM THE DALAI LAMA WE SHOULD ALL FOLLOW

Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. The Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. If China is Unwilling to Talk, how to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?

The Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga pose for a photo with mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis on Sunday.

The message was simple, but in the midst of a presidential campaign filled with mean tweets, name-calling and a general air of nastiness, it sounded downright revolutionary and refreshing.

Be kind. Practice compassion.

That was a theme of the keynote address delivered by the Dalai Lama Sunday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Indianapolis. According to an Indianapolis Star report, in a discussion that followed the address, the Buddhist leader, along with entertainer Lady Gaga and philanthropist Philip Anschuwitz, talked to more than 200 of the nation’s city mayors about the importance of being kind in a violent and angry world.

He said that people are compassionate by nature, and that enemies can be the best of friends.He also noted that the time has come for America to be the leading nation in the promotion of human compassion, human love in order to achieve compassionate world.

While there are compassionate people to be found in communities such as ours, there is no denying that the national discourse has deteriorated over the years. That’s thanks in no small part to a Congress where inflexibility is prized, demonizing the opposition plays well and failure to compromise on such mammoth challenges as immigration reform is the norm. And four months from the election of a new president, things are certain to get even uglier and more divisive.

In a panel discussion short on policy proposals and heavy on philosophy, the Dalai Lama called the 20th century the century of violence,and suggested that the 21st century should be one of talk.

That sounds good to us. Now if only he can get certain folks in Washington, D.C. and on the campaign trail to listen.

Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. If China is Unwilling to Talk, How to Walk The Talk on Peaceful Conflict Resolution?

Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lady Gaga talked about Compassion at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. How to get Red China to the Conference Table?

**Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. How to get Red China to The Conference Table?**

Trouble in Tibet - Walk The Talk - Red China's Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lady Gaga, and the U.S. Mayors held Talks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. The Talks are Over. Who is going to Walk The Talk??? — Trouble in Tibet – Walk The Talk – Red China’s Road Block. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lady Gaga, and the U.S. Mayors held Talks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. The Talks are Over. Who is going to Walk The Talk?

Whole Trouble – Red China’s Repression Sealed Off Tibet

Trouble in Tibet – Chinese Repression Sealed Off Tibet

I speak about the Political Rights of Tibetans who are opposed to Red China’s military occupation of Tibet. Tibetans are not allowed to exercise any Human Rights. Chinese Repression transformed Tibet into a vast Military Prison.

Has Chinese repression sealed off Tibet?

Exile arrivals in India have plummeted from 3,320 in 2005 to just six so far this year

By SARANSH SEHGAL

DHARAMSALA/INDIA, 22 June 2016

As Chinese border guards searched the cargo truck he was hiding in, Yonten’s heart began to race. If they discovered him among the boxes, his attempt to escape Tibet would be over and he would end up in prison instead of India.

“I’m lucky I made it,” he said in an interview in Dharamsala, in northern India, where he has been granted asylum. “There are hundreds thinking of fleeing every day, but they fear being caught and further tortured by the Chinese police.”

The Tibetan exile spoke under the assumed name of Yonten for fear of reprisals against his family back home. China’s repressive policies in Tibet have been well documented, and rights groups say that activists and those trying to flee are often detained and tortured.

Following a crackdown on civil unrest in 2008, China stepped up its surveillance of Tibetans, tightened border security, and leaned on neighbouring Nepal to restrict entrance and send refugees back. Data provided to IRIN by the Tibetan Reception Centre in Dharamsala shows that the measures appear to have worked.

The number of Tibetans arriving in India fell from 3,320 in 2005 to 608 in 2008. In 2014, the year Yonten made it across the border into Nepal and onward to India, he was one of only 93 arrivals. So far this year, just six Tibetan refugees have made it.

An official who answered the phone at China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing declined to answer questions about Tibet, but past official statements have largely ignored allegations of human rights abuses. Instead, China tends to emphasize investment and economic development in Tibet.

For example, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported that China has invested $4.9 billion in water infrastructure over the past two decades, irrigating 200,000 hectares and providing safe drinking water for 2.4 million people. Another Xinhua article emphasised Tibet’s double-digit economic growth over the same time period.

Bloody crackdown

Economic growth may be convincing some Tibetans to stay home, but it is unlikely to entirely account for the precipitous drop in refugee arrivals in India since 2008. And in the minds of many Tibetan refugees and activists, economic development does not make up for China’s sometimes brutal history in the region.

China annexed Tibet in 1950 and brutally repressed a rebellion in 1959, the year the Dalai Lama escaped with thousands of followers and settled in India. By 2001, at least 110,000 Tibetans had fled to India, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

But the flood of Tibetan refugees was reduced to a trickle after the unrest of March 2008, which began with protests by Buddhist monks, but turned into riots. Police battled protestors, while some Tibetans also attacked members of communities who had migrated to Tibet from the rest of China. Estimates of the number killed and injured range from scores to hundreds, but it’s difficult to say with any certainty since China strictly limits media access to Tibet.

A two-year investigation on the crackdown by Human Rights Watch found that “Chinese forces broke international law – including prohibitions against disproportionate use of force, torture and arbitrary detention, as well as the right to peaceful assembly”.

Travel restrictions

In addition to imposing measures to prevent Tibetans from leaving their homeland, China has exerted pressure on neighbouring Nepal. Although India and Tibet do share a border, much of the frontier is disputed and militarized, and the rugged territory high in the Himalayas makes it a difficult crossing. Nepal remains the main route from Tibet to India, although it has become more restricted over the past few years.

“As a result of a massive security presence in Tibetan areas of China and increased cooperation between Nepalese and Chinese security forces in recent years, China has been able to stem the flow of Tibetan refugees escaping to Nepal,” said HRW in a 2014 report.

Nepal’s apparent cooperation with China has coincided with a surge of Chinese investment in that country, suggesting that there may be economic factors at play.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said it would respond to questions from IRIN but did not reply before publication. When the HRW report was released, an official told the AFP news agency that Nepal was not deporting refugees, but was treating them humanely, and was not under pressure from China.
Other sources, however, said the allegations were true.

When approached for comment on the number and treatment of Tibetan refugees in Nepal, UNHCR referred IRIN to the Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre, which it works with in that country.

“The Chinese government puts a lot of pressure on the Nepalese government to act against Tibetans escaping across the border and, in that course, hundreds get deported and, thereafter, the Chinese army detains and tortures them,” said a spokesperson from the centre. “This has become a norm since the past five to seven years.”

Even as China has stepped up security along the border, Tibetans are now subject to severe travel restrictions even within Tibet, said Robert Barnett, director of the Modern Tibet Studies Programme at Columbia University.

“Controls have been increased not just at the border itself, but on the roads leading to the border areas, and special permits are required to enter those within about 30 kilometres of the border,” he told IRIN. “There have also been increased controls on travel throughout Tibet as well.”
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**Trouble in Tibet – Which Type of Force Can Evict China? Dalai Lama Opens California Temple With Message of Compassion.**

Whole Trouble – Which type of force can evict Red China?

Trouble in Tibet – Which type of force can evict Red China?

Tibetans under the Spiritual Leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama have shared their Road Map for Peace and Reconciliation in Occupied Tibet. However, Red China is adamantly refusing to talk to Tibetans to secure a Peaceful Resolution of Conflict in Tibet. In my analysis, Compassion can act as Physical Force and evict China from Occupied Tibetan territories without causing Pain and Suffering to members of People’s Liberation Army. Compassion exerts influence in Physical World without causing injury or illness.

VOA

DALAI LAMA OPENS CALIFORNIA TEMPLE WITH MESSAGE OF COMPASSION

The Dalai Lama prays at the Dieu Ngu Temple in Westminster, Calif., June 18, 2016.

MIKE O’SULLIVAN

June 18, 2016 8:15 PM

WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA—

Thousands of people, many of them Buddhists who left Vietnam decades ago and came to the U.S. to live, have flocked to the Southern California neighborhood known as Little Saigon to welcome the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who is dedicating a new temple there.

At a religious teaching session Saturday that drew many visitors, the 80-year-old Dalai Lama said the world needs more compassion in a time of violence.

Canadian Lyane Pellerin, who has attended many talks by the Dalai Lama in the past, agreed, saying, “We certainly do need more peace talks and kindness, understanding and dialogue.”

The Dalai Lama will dedicate the $6 million Dieu Ngu Temple on Saturday. (M. O’Sullivan/VOA)

Thousands of people gathered outside the Dieu Ngu Temple early Saturday, waiting for the gates to open at 6 a.m. The Dalai Lama will dedicate the temple Sunday.

“Just to be in the presence of the Dalai Lama is a wonderful thing,” said Wanda Matjas, one of those who turned out at dawn.

‘A WISE, WISE MAN’

Vietnamese-American Annie Hoang said she came to hear the revered Tibetan monk’s spiritual message.

“I’ve loved the Dalai Lama,” she said. “I think that he’s such a wise, wise man, and he represents such great knowledge, and everything that I’ve always wanted.”

The Dalai Lama’s presence is an important boost for the Dieu Ngu Temple, a $6 million project that marks a milestone of growth for the Vietnamese Buddhist community. Vietnamese immigrants — Buddhists, Catholics and others — have built their community over the past four decades in Southern California, where they arrived in search of political and religious freedom.

“I remember when we started building this,” Jessica Ha says of the Dieu Ngu Temple.
“Our monks’ biggest dream was to have the Dalai Lama come and talk.” (M. O’Sullivan/VOA)
The temple was founded in a Little Saigon home in 2008 and later moved to a warehouse as it grew. Monks and temple members spearheaded the drive to raise funds for the new structure, which features traditional architecture.

“I remember when we started building this,” said Jessica Ha, whose parents are longtime members. “Our monks’ biggest dream was to have the Dalai Lama come and talk, and it’s happening! Good things come to really good people, and this is it.”

DRAWN TO PHILOSOPHY

The Dalai Lama always draws interest from non-Asians.

Temple visitor Eve Moon says her family was drawn to “Buddhist philosophy and the Dalai Lama’s message, and in general, humanitarianism and peace.” (M. O’Sullivan/VOA)

“I was raised by parents who traveled the world and a Vietnam vet father that didn’t know where home was anymore,” said visitor Eve Moon. She said her family was drawn to “Buddhist philosophy and the Dalai Lama’s message, and in general, humanitarianism and peace.”

Buddhists from many traditions — Chinese and Southeast Asian, among others — came to the temple. They included Czech visitor Martin Vitovic, who embraces the Dalai Lama’s teachings. He said he’d been interested in the Tibetan’s message for “about three years, and I want to see him.”

Vietnamese-American Buddhists said the Dalai Lama inspired listeners with his message, and they felt his visit also drew attention to California’s Little Saigon and its imposing new temple.

Tibetans under the Spiritual Leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama have shared their Road Map for Peace and Reconciliation in Occupied Tibet. However, Red China is adamantly refusing to talk to Tibetans to secure a Peaceful Resolution of Conflict in Tibet. In my analysis, Compassion can act as Physical Force and evict China from Occupied Tibetan territories without causing Pain and Suffering to members of People’s Liberation Army. Compassion exerts influence in Physical World without causing injury or illness.

Whole Trouble – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism

Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism

Red China, after forcing His Holiness the Dalai Lama to live in exile, is pursuing the policy of ‘Obstructionism’ creating Stumbling Blocks, and erecting Roadblocks preventing global community from reaching the destination of Peace and Justice in Occupied Tibet.

OBAMA TO MEET DALAI LAMA AT WHITE HOUSE, DEFYING BEIJING
June 15, 2016

**Trouble in Tibet – Red China’s Policy of Obstructionism**: **President Barack Obama meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)**

China on Wednesday warned US President Barack Obama against meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House, saying that hosting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage mutual trust.

Obama has met the Dalai Lama several times before and calls the monk, who is revered by Tibetans but portrayed by Beijing as a dangerous separatist, “a good friend.”The tete a tete, planned for Wednesday will — as usual — take place behind closed doors in an effort to avoid angering China, which accuses the Nobel peace laureate of using “spiritual terrorism” to seek independence for Tibet.

“China’s Foreign Ministry has launched solemn representations with the US side, expressing our firm opposition to such an arrangement,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters.

“If such meeting goes through, it will send a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking Tibet independence and it will damage mutual trust and cooperation,” he added.

The spiritual leader — who has lived in exile in India since a failed 1959 uprising — has for decades called for more Tibetan autonomy rather than independence.

Beijing maintains he is a “wolf in monk’s clothing” and vigorously lobbies — often successfully — against foreign leaders meeting him.

Obama made a high-profile public appearance with the Dalai Lama last year at a prayer breakfast in Washington, calling him “a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion.”

But three prior meetings were held privately, and Obama was criticised in 2010 for obliging the 80-year-old, clad in his characteristic red robes and flip flops, to leave the White House through a back door and walk past piles of snow and bags of rubbish.

Obama’s schedule indicated the Wednesday meeting would be held away from the cameras in the White House Map Room, not the Oval Office.

TIBETANS APPLAUD

Tibetans “feel happy about His Holiness meeting the president,” said Sonam Dagpo of the Tibetan government-in-exile, adding they hoped the US would support “the struggle of Tibetans.”

China has ruled Tibet since the 1950s, but many Tibetans say Beijing represses their Buddhist religion and culture — charges China denies.

More than 130 ethnic Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest at Beijing’s rule, campaign groups and overseas media have said. Most of them have died.

The Dalai Lama has described the protests as acts of desperation that he is powerless to stop.Many observers believe China is confident that the Tibetan movement will lose much of its potency and global appeal when the charismatic Dalai Lama dies.

The Dalai Lama has also increasingly spoken of succession and has not ruled out picking his reincarnation before his death, fearing that China would instead pick its own boy whom it would use to advance its agenda.

His stance has led Chinese communist rulers, who are officially atheist, to insist that the Dalai Lama can only reincarnate after his death.