CHINA NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IT HAS A COMMON INTEREST WITH TIBETANS TO TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT
Stephen M. Sachs, “China Needs to Understand It Has a Common Interest with Tibetans to Treat Them With Respect”
China – for its own and the world’s interest – needs to dialogue with the Tibetans (particularly the Dalai Lama). The Turks are finally investing in Kurdish development and cultural respect to undermine the destabilizing violence they cannot eliminate by force alone. The United States, as a whole, is benefiting from switching from repressing Indian tribes, to allowing them self-determination. The Indian nations are now improving their condition, and greatly benefiting the surrounding areas as their economies improve, and their governments become increasingly capable partners in American Federalism. China needs to be encouraged to understand that it is in its interest to do the same. The Dalai Lama has been open to cooperating with the Chinese government on building a collaborative and mutually respectful autonomy. This is in everyone’s interest, and China would be wise to grasp the opportunity to do so.
China is again a strong nation. It has long passed the time of being threatened with invasion by outside powers. The only real security threat to China is its over concern with security and, thus, control. China will be much stronger and prosperous at home, and more appreciated abroad, if it can see that the time has come to be internally more inclusive. Indeed, such a change would make it easier to complete reconciliation with Taiwan.
