Monday, August 19, 2013

The Chinese who matter in Tibetan Affairs

Xi Jinping in Lhasa (2011)
Here is a list of Chinese officials who will have a say in Tibet affairs in the years to come.
Either they have been, or they are associated with the Roof of the World.
One can only hope that wisdom will prevail and that they will realize that it is in their (and China's) interest to find a decent solution to the Tibetan issue with the present Dalai Lama.
Many of these senior Party officials have been mentioned on this blog in the past.
This list is not exhaustive and may change in March.


President Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping 习近平
Member, Standing Committee
Xi Jinping is a native of Fuping County, Shaanxi Province. He was born in 1953, entered the work force in 1969, joined the Youth League in 1971 and the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1974.
In 2012, he became General Secretary of the 18th CPC Central Committee, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the 18th CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.
His father Xi Zhongxun was associated with the Xth Panchen Lama.
Xi Jinping is the new boss of China.
Xi does not  seem in a hurry to go deeper into Tibetan affairs as his missed visit to Tibet in February 2013 shows.

Yu Zhengsheng
Yu Zhengsheng 俞正声
Member, Standing Committee
 Yu Zhengsheng (Han nationality) is a native of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. He was born in 1945, entered the work force in 1963, joined the CPC in 1964, and graduated from the Harbin Military Engineering Institute in 1968.
From 2007-2012 Yu served as Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.
In 2012, he was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the 18th CPC Central Committee.
He may replace Jia Qingling as the Chairman of Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet when it is reconstituted.
Xinhua recently reported: "Senior official Yu Zhengsheng called on monks and nuns to be patriotic and observe the law and monastic rules during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Jan. 6 to 8.
Yu, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call at a seminar held with Tibetan Buddhist representatives in Sichuan's Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture."
The article continued:
Yu said he hopes Tibetan Buddhists will support the government's efforts to manage monasteries in accordance with the law and encourage monks and nuns to observe both the law and monastic rules. "The government should offer public services to monasteries while enhancing their management, as well as help Tibetan Buddhism to correspond with socialist society," Yu said.
A unified and strong motherland together with developing and stable Tibetan areas will help ethnic groups improve their lives and brighten the prospects for Tibetan Buddhism, Yu said.
"The fight against the Dalai Lama clique should continue in order to create a favorable social and political environment for economic development and the improvement of people's well-being," he said.
Yu said he hopes Tibetan Buddhists can cultivate higher religious attainments to enable them to run the monasteries and better guide people in religious practices.
During the inspection tour of Ganzi, the first ethnic minority autonomous prefecture after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 as well as one still haunted by poverty, Yu visited herdsmen, poverty-stricken villagers and a middle school.
He said, "The key for developing Tibetan areas lies in improving their infrastructure and public services as well as increasing the incomes of farmers and herdsmen."
Yu asked the local government to put a special focus on "problems for which the public demands prompt solutions," such as offering better medical services in the region and better vocational training for young people.
He ordered officials to improve their work style, serve the people wholeheartedly and solve people's practical problems.
On January 24, 2013, while meeting major 'national religious groups' in Beijing, Yu called religion a 'positive force'.
He particularly mentioned the usefulness of religion in promoting economic and social development. He said that "efforts are needed to make religion conducive to national development and the improve.
Yu Zhengsheng visited Lhasa and Nagchu from August 1 to 6, 2013.
Read my comments...

Liu Yandong
Liu Yandong 刘延东
Member, 18th CPC, Central Committee, Politburo; Vice-Premier, State Council

Born in November 1945 in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, Ms. Liu Yandong joined the Communist Party of China in July 1964.
She studied political theory at the School of Administration at Jilin University. She holds the degree of Doctor of Laws.
She is currently a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor, and member of the Leading Party Members' Group.
Between 2002 and 2007, she served as the head of the United Front, an organization which oversees the relations with the ‘minorities’ and the non-Communist Chinese political parties.
She is said to be a close ally of former General Secretary Hu Jintao.
In March 2013, she was appointed second Vice-Premier in Li Keqianq's cabinet.
In January 2007, Ms. Liu paid an eight-day visit to India. She met Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The Indian Government then "reiterated its position recognizing that Tibet Autonomous Region is an inseparable part of China and that India will not permit any person to engage in anti-China political activities in India."
PTI reported that Liu Yandong met with Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni: "As a part of bilateral effort, a high level delegation led by Liu Yandong, Vice Chairperson of National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also called on Tourism Minister Ambika Soni and stressed the need to strengthen relation between the two countries through tourism and cultural exchange".
Not a word of Tibet, though the 'negotiations' were under her responsibility.


Hu Chunhua
Hu Chunhua 胡春华
Member, Politburo of the 18th Central Committee
Hu Chunhua was born into a family of farming background in Wufeng County, Hubei in April 1963.
In 1979, he ranked first in the county for the Gaokao examination. At age 16, he was the youngest in his class.
He received his B.A. degree from Peking University in August 1983, majoring in Chinese language and literature. After graduation, he volunteered to go work in Tibet.
He began work in the region as a cadre in the Organization Department of the Communist Youth League. Hu subsequently held various government and Youth League positions in Tibet, ultimately serving as deputy secretary of the CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee from November 2003 to November 2006 and vice chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government from November 2003 to November 2005.
In Tibet, Hu played an instrumental role in developing the Tibetan economy.
In November 2012, Hu was appointed to the 18th Politburo
With Sun Zhengcai, he is the youngest members of the politburo, raising speculation they are being groomed to become China's next leaders in 2022.
In December 2012, Hu was appointed the party chief of Guangdong.
He is said to fluently speak Tibetan.


Wang Huning
Wang Huning 王沪宁
Member, Politburo of the 18th Central Committee  
Wang Huning, born in October 1955 in Laizhou, Shandong Province. He joined the Communist Party of China in April 1984. He studied international politics at the Department of International Politics at Fudan University and was awarded the degree of Master of Laws. He is a professor.
He is currently a member of the Political Bureau and director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee.
He recently acompanied General Secretary Xi Jinping during his visit to Gansu, near the Labrang monastery.
A few months back The South China Morning Post reported: "Wang Huning often goes unrecognised despite being a trusted adviser to two presidents, but his cool demeanour hides a sharp political brain."
He is a member of the Tibet delegation at the last National People's Congress.

 
Meng Jianzhu
Meng Jianzhu 孟建柱
Member, Politburo of the 18th Central Committee
Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Politics and Law Commission, in other words, the new Security boss of China.
In November 2011, Meng Jianzhu visited Kirti Monastery.
According to International Campaign for Tibet: "The report on the visit made no mention of the nine self-immolations to have taken place in and around the monastery, and instead focused on Meng Jianzhu’s expressions of support and sympathy to police officers for the physical difficulties associated with working at altitude in Tibet."
Presently Vice Chairman of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).



Liu Qibao
Liu Qibao 刘奇葆
Member, Politburo of the 18th Central Committee 
Director, CPC, Central Committee, Propaganda Department
He was Party Secretary of Sichuan Province, responsible for large areas of Tibet (2008-2012).
He apparently took a hardline over the self-immolations in 2011/2012.
He is currently a member of the CCP's Politburo, the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and head of its Publicity Department.
Vice Chairman of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).





Guo Jinlong
Guo Jinlong 郭金龙 
Member, Politburo of the 18th Central Committee 
 Served in Tibet Autonomous Region for over 10 years including as Party Secretary 2000-2004.
Guo Jinlong was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu. He graduated from Nanjing University Department of Physics in 1969 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1979, and was sent to work in Sichuan.
In 1993 Guo headed to Lhasa to serve as the Vice-Secretary of the CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee, and was promoted to become the Secretary from 2000 to 2004. He was pivotal in the Qingzang Railway project.
He left Tibet to serve as the Secretary of the CPC Anhui Committee in 2004, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of Anhui People's Congress from 2005.
Guo was mayor of Beijing from 2008 to 2011; he also served as Executive President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In 2012 he became secretary of the Beijing CPC municipal committee.
He is a member of the Politburo of the 18th CPC Central Committee.


Ling Jihua
Ling Jihua 令计划
Member, 18th Central Committee
From 2007 to 2012, Ling Jihua served as Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.
He was a member of the 17th CPC Central Committee and a Member of the Secretariat of the 17th CPC Central Committee and Deputy Director of Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.
In 2012, he became Head of the United Front Work Department.
Presently Vice Chairman of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).






Yang Chuantang
Yang Chuantang 杨传堂
Member, 18th CPC, 

Central Committee
Minister of Transport
Yang Chuantang is a native of Yucheng, Shandong province. He joined the CPC in June 1976 and started working in June 1972.
In 1993, Yang was transferred to Tibet, where he held the position of administrative vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government. He was elected vice-governor of Qinghai province in 2003. In 2004 he became secretary of the CPC Tibet autonomous regional committee.
Yang Chuantang was Vice-Chairman of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission from 2006 to 2011.
He is now China's Transport Minister.


Li Liguo
Li Liguo 李立国
Member, 18th CPC, 

Central Committee
Minister of Civil Affairs

Li Liguo is born in November 1953 in Yutian, Hebei Province.
He joined the Communist Party of China in November 1974.
He graduated from Northeastern University of Technology, majoring in engineering management.
From January 1993 to August 1995, Li was the secretary-general of the Party Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region; from August 1995 to January 1999, he became a member of the Standing Committee and continued to be the general-secretary of the Party Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region; from January 1999, Li was the TAR's vice-secretary; he continued till November 2003.
On June 25, 2010, Li was appointed as minister of Civil Affairs.
In June 2013, he visited Tibet, where he stated: "In successive years, the investment put into Tibet by central government has been increased according to the situation. Since 2008, there are altogether 4.1 billion yuan (about 6,7 billion US dollars) of special funds invested in Tibet, including disaster relief allowance, social assistance and social compensation. The per capita civil affair capital investment in Tibet ranks China's first.”

Wang Zhengwei
Wang Zhengwei 王正伟
Member, 18th Central Committee
Minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission 
Wang Zhengwei is born in 1957 in Tongxin County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. He is a Hui by ‘nationality’ and joined the CCP in 1981 after graduating from Chinese Department of Ningxia University with a Bachelor Degree in 1982. He later earned a Doctorate degree from Central University for Nationalities in 2003.
He has been a member of the 16th, 17th and 18th CCP’s Central Committees.
In 2008, he became Chairman of the People's Government of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a Muslim dominated area of northwestern China.
In April 2013, Wang was nominated Minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.
Wang visited Lhasa and Nyingtri from August 11 to 16.
See my post on the subject...



Zhang Yijiong
Zhang Yijiong 张裔炯
Member, 18th Central Committee

Zhang Yijiong (Han nationality) is a native of Shanghai.
He was born in 1955, employed by Qinghai 2nd Repair Factory in 1972 and joined the CPC in June 1976.
He earned a graduate degree from the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.
He was Deputy Secretary of CPC Tibet Autonomous Region Committee from 2006 to 2010 and later Deputy Secretary of CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and an alternate member of 17th CPC Central Committee.
Member of the 18th CCP Central Committee.
Presently, he is Deputy Head, United Front Work Department, responsible for the ‘talks’ with Dharamsala.
Zhang Yijiong  accompanied Yu Zhengsheng during a recent visit to Lhasa and Nagchi (August 1-6, 2013)



Du Qinglin
Du Qinglin 杜青林
Member, 18th Central Committee
Vice-Chairman, 11th CPPCC, National Committee.
From 2007 - 2012, he was Head of United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.
He is now a member of the 18th CPC Central Committee and a Vice-Chairman of the 11th National Committee of the CPPCC.
Presently Vice Chairman of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).
I mentioned on this blog that Du Qinglin is back on the Tibetan scene.
Du is a member of the powerful Secretariat of the Central Committee. In this position he can monitor the party and state’s United Front apparatus.

Du made 'an inspection tour' to the Tibetan autonomous prefectures of Ganzi and Diqing, in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces between March 29 and April 1, 2013.
In his speeches, he stressed "forging closer Party-people ties and hardening local residents' common understanding of safeguarding ethnic solidarity and national unity in Tibetan-inhabited regions."


Zhang Qingli
Zhang Qingli 张庆黎
Member, 18th CPC, Central Committee; Secretary-General, 12th CPPCC, National Committee

Zhang Qingli is a native of Dongping, Shandong province. Born in 1951, he joined the CPC in 1973. Zhang is a graduate of the Party School of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee.
From 2006 to 2011, he served as Secretary of the CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee. He became known for his hardline approach.
Zhang described the Dalai Lama as "a wolf in monk's clothes, a devil with a human face". He also said: "We are now fighting a bitter struggle of blood and fire against the Dalai clique, a struggle of life and death."
He believed that the Chinese Communist Party was a ‘living Buddha’ for the Tibetan people.
In March 2013, Zhang Qingli was elected vice chairperson of the 12th CPPCC National Committee as well as secretary-general of the 12th National Committee of the CPPCC.
He thus become one of the main advisors of Yu Zhengcheng, who will soon  become Chairman of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet.
Read my comment, The Return of Zhang Qingli.


Wang Jianping
Wang Jianping 王建平
Member, 18th Central Committee
Wang Jianping (Han nationality) is a native of Hebei province. He was born in 1953, joined the Army in 1969. In 1997, he was promoted to major general and to be lieutenant general in 2007.
He was an alternate member of 17th CPC Central Committee and served as deputy commander for one year before becoming Commander of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force in 2009.
Member of the 18th CCP Central Committee.
Presently member of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).


Chen Quanguo
Chen Quanguo 陈全国
Member, 18th Central Committee
Chen was born in the central province of Henan in 1955, and joined the CPC in 1973.
Promoted to Deputy Party Secretary of Henan Province in 2003, before being transferred to the same position in neighbouring Hebei Province in November 2009.
Became Acting-Governor of Hebei Province in December 2009, just one month after arriving in the Province, was confirmed as Governor in 2010 (His predecessor was Hu Chunhua)
He was appointed Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region in August 2011.
In January 2012, he told the Tibet Daily: "The fight against the Dalai Lama clique is a long-term, complicated and sometimes even acute one".
Member of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet.


Yang Jinshan
Lieutenant General Yang Jinshan
Member, 18th Central Committee
Lt. Gen. Yang Jinshan (Han nationality) is born in August 1954.
Joined the Communist Party of China in May 1972.
In December 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and in July 2011 lieutenant general.
He is currently Commander of the Tibet Military Area.
In November, he has become a member 18th CPC Central Committee.
In June 2013, General Yang was transferred to Chengdu as a Deputy Commander of the Chengdu Military Region.





  
Major General Xu Yong
Major General Xu Yong
In June 2013, Major General Xu Yong, a native from Shaanxi Province replaced General Yang as Commander of of the Tibet Military Area. General Xu was earlier Commander of the 13th Army Group in Chungqing.
General Xu is well-known in China for his participation to the rescue work at the time of 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Soon after the earthquake, more than 100,000 soldiers were sent to the front lines of the disaster area to undertake the relief efforts.
General Xu was the first People's Liberation Army's high-ranking commander to arrive at the epicenter of the disaster.
He later recalled:
We arrived at Dujiangyan on the night of May 12, the day the earthquake hit Sichuan. At that point, we didn't know the exact situation in the epicenter. Though the air force had already sent batches of reconnaissance planes, they all failed due to thick fog caused by constant rain.
To give headquarters firsthand information to devise rescue plans, we had to send soldiers into the epicenter on foot. A group of soldiers went in with the plan of reaching the epicenter by road. After they had been gone for some time without effective communications, I decided to lead another group to take shortcuts and try to get to the epicenter soon."
Aftershocks frequently shook the region, worsening the already devastating situation. The soldiers were beset by heavy rain, landslides and falling rocks. Under the extreme conditions, Xu Yong and his well-trained soldiers took two hours to cover just five kilometers of terrain. They finally arrived at the epicenter at nightfall the following day.

Qin Yizhi with Olympic Flame in Tibet
Qin Yizhi 秦宜智
Alternate Member, 18th CPC, Central Committee
Born in 1965, Qin graduated from Tsinghua University in 1988. He worked in a steel plant in Sichuan Province before moving to the TAR in 2005.
Qin was Party Secretary of Lhasa 2006-2011, then a Vice Chairman of the TAR Government.
According to The South China Morning Post, the 47-year-old official “was nominated to head the Communist Youth League of China. Both the former party secretary Hu Jintao and the new premier Li Keqiang have served as heads of the league, which represents the party's tuanpai (Youth League) faction, spawning rumors that Qin could succeed Li in the future.”
The hand of former president Hu Jintao was seen behind the appointment.
Hu himself built his power base as head of the Youth League as well as Party Chief in Tibet in the 1980s.
Beijing-based Tibetan dissident writer Tsering Woeser consider Qin as "a hardline party official, who had consistently pushed for the government-sanctioned 'patriotic education' of monks during his time in Tibet." She wrote: "He was very tough on religious issues."

Hao Peng
Hao Peng 郝鹏
Alternate Member, 18th CPC, Central Committee

Hao Peng was born in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province in 1960. He joined the CCP in 1976 and graduated from Northwest Polytechnical University in 1982.
From 2003 to 2006, he was Vice-Chairman of Tibet Autonomous Regional Government. He then served as Deputy Secretary of CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee from 2006 to 2013.
In February 2013, he was elected governor of Qinghai Province.
The Independent published his interview a few years ago.


Zhu Weiqun
Zhu  Weiqun 朱维群
Born in Jiangsu Province, Zhu graduated from the department of journalism of the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with a master's degree.
He joined the Communist Party of China in July 1970.
He was a member of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the 16th CPC National People's Congress. Member of the 17th CPC Central Committee.
In February 1999, he was appointed Vice Director of the United Front Work Department. He became the executive Vice Director of the Department in January 2006.
He remained at this post till he was replaced by Zhang Yijiong early this year.
He is still Secretary-General of the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture.
He has recently been seen with Yu Zhengsheng during the latter's tour of Sichuan. Will he stage a come-back?

Young Hu Jintao with the 10th Panchen Lama
and of course....
soon Former President Hu Jintao who will continue to keep a few fingers in the Tibetan pie (if not tsampa).
Some of his proteges are listed above.










And two Tibetans...

Padma Choling
Padma Choling 白玛赤林
Member, 18th Central Committee
Padma Choling, Tibetan Nationality, is a native of Dingqing County (Chamdo Prefecture), Tibet Autonomous Region.
He was born in 1951, entered the work force in 1969, and joined the CPC in 1970.
From 2003 to 2010, he was Vice-Chairman of Regional People’s Government, Tibet Autonomous Region. Since 2010, was Chairman, Regional People’s Government, Tibet Autonomous Region.
Recently elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Regional People's Congress.
Member of the 18th CCP Central Committee.
Presently member of the Central Working Coordination Small Group on Tibet (to be reconstituted).

Lobsang Gyaltsen
Lobsang Gyaltsen 洛桑江村
Alternate Member, 18th Central Committee
Lobsang Gyaltsen, male, Tibetan nationality, is a native of Chagyab county of Chamdo Prefecture in the TAR. He was born in 1957, entered the work force in 1976 and joined the CPC in 1978.
Lobsang Gyaltsen studied at Literature Department of Tibet Nationality College from 1971 to 1976, and graduated from Party School of CPC Central Committee with a postgraduate degree in 2004.
From 1995 to 2003, Lobsang Gyaltsen served at posts of Deputy Secretary of CPC Lhasa City Committee, Vice Mayor, Acting Mayor and Mayor of Lhasa City of Tibet Autonomous Region.
Since 2003, he serves as Vice-Chairman of Autonomous Region People's Government, Tibet Autonomous Region.
Became alternate member of the 18th CCP Central Committee in November 2012. 
In January 2013, he has become Chairman, Regional People’s Government, Tibet Autonomous Region.

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