Sunday, July 25, 2021

Xi in Central and Southern Tibet

Xi Jinping is just back from an 'inspection tour' of Central and Southern Tibet (July 21-23, 2021).
He went to Lhasa after a gap of ten years, though he had visited Amdo  in June (where the Dalai Lama and Sikyiong Pempa Tsering, though born in India, is from Amdo).

I have listed below, the member of Xi's delegation as well as given the name of his hosts in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (and the generals who came from Chengdu to attend the encounter between Chairman Xi and the Tibet Military District's officers).

Xi's Delegation from Beijing

•    Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission

  Ding Xuexiang, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. Member of the Politburo and a Secretary of the Party Secretariat.

He usually accompanies Xi in his visits/inspections tours.

 

 

Liu He, member of the Politburo and Vice Premier. Liu is also the director of the Office serving the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); heads the Financial Stability and Development Committee.

A trusted lieutenant of Xi; he also usually accompanies Xi in his visits/inspections tours.

Yang Xiaodu, Director of the National Supervisory Commission and member of the Politburo. Also Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)

Served in Tibet during his early political career (1986-1992, Deputy Commissioner, Nagchu Prefecture; 1992-1995, Deputy Secretary, Chamdo, 1998-2001, vice-chairman, TAR government)
Yang knows Tibet well, having served fifteen years, but why Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Politburo and a Vice Premier was not on board for the visit? He was TAR Party from 1983 to 2007.
Hu is the only member of the Politburo who fluently speaks Tibetan. Probably, the emperor does not like shade.

 Gen Zhang Youxia, Vice-Chairman, Central Military Commission, Member Politburo.
His presence is explained by the 'important' meeting between the CMC Chairman (Xi) and all the officers of the Tibet Military District (TMD), including the Commander and the Political Commissar of the Western Theater Command or WTC (based in Chengdu, particularly the new Commander Gen Xu Qiling).  The WTC also looks after the Ladakh front.

 

 Chen Xi, head of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China. Also member of the Politburo and a Secretary in the Central Secretariat as well as President of the Central Party School. Served as a vice-minister of Education and Vice Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology.

A graduate from Tsinghua University, like Xi Jinping (they know each other since that time).  Read my post: The Brahmaputra Diversion and the Tsinghai Clique

  He Lifeng, Minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
His presence is explained by number of large projects, including the railway line between Lhasa and Chengdu and the Giga hydropower plants on the Yarlung Tsangpo to be soon undertaken.
See my post: The Big One

 

Also present was Lu Dongfu, Chairman and Party Secretary of the National Railway Group and Qian Ming, the deputy general manager of China Railway Group who answered Xi Jinping's questions on the new railway line between Lhasa and Nyingchi. 

 Delegation from Western Theater Command, Chengdu 

  • Gen Xu Qiling, Commander Western Theater Command (WTC)
  • Gen Li Fengbiao, Political Commissar, WTC
  • (to be confirmed) new Commander, PLA Ground Force, WTC

PLA Tibet Military District (TMD) delegation led by:

  •  Lt Gen Zhang Xuejie, Political Commissar of TMD
  • Lt Gen Wang Kai, Commander, TMD
  • Several Lt Gens and some 25 Maj Gens from PLA and PLAAF posted in the TMD

 

Those who received Xi Jinping

  • Wu Yingjie, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Member of the Central Committee
Accompanied Xi Jinping during the entire visit
  • Lobsang Gyaltsen, Deputy Secretary of the TAR and secretary and director of the Standing Committee of the District People's Congress.
Was seen only during the performance
  • Che Dalha (Zizara), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the TAR, Chairman (Governor) of the TAR government. Member of the Central Committee
Accompanied Xi Jinping during the entire visit
  • Zhuang Yan, Deputy Secretary of the TAR and Executive Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region. Alternate Member of the Central Committee
He was NOT seen during the visit. Probably responsible for the organization of the visit
  • Yan Jinhai, Deputy Secretary of the TAR. Alternate Member of the Central Committee
Was seen in Bakhor, Potala Square and Drepung
  • Danko, Member of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department
Received Xi Jinping in Drepung Monastery

Other prominent Tibetans spotted during the visit ('The Old Red Guard')

•    Pasang 

Joined a unit of the PLA (1956); joined CCP (1959), Pasang’s rise to the top dates from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. She came into prominence in May 1966 when she wrote an article in The People's Daily praising Mao Zedong's Thought. In 1969, when the Revolutionary Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) was established to replace regional government, she was elected Vice-Chairperson. In 1971, she was made a deputy party secretary in the TAR Party Committee, a position she held until her retirement in 2002.
See my post: The Return of the Red Genes in Tibet
Attended the cultural performance with Xi Jinping

Second from left

  • Legchok

Legchog, was born in Gyantse in 1944. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1972.
He has been the Chairman of the TAR government between 1998 and 2004. From 2003 to 2010, he was the Chairman of the TAR Congress.
He is one of the members of the Old Guard with Ragdi, Pasang, Phakpalha and Jampa Phuntsok.
On July 1, he was awarded by Wu Yingjie the Commemorative Medal of the "Glorious 50 [1o0?] Years of the Party".
He attended the cultural performance.

Seating behind Xi and in front of Lt Gen Zhang Xuejie, the PC, TMD

  • Phakpalha Delek Namgyal
An incarnate Lama, popularly known as Chamdo Phakpalha. Though born in Lithang (Kham province), was recognized as the Head Lama of Galden Jampaling Monastery in Chamdo. The Rinpoche has been supporting the Communist regime for more than 65 years.
Phakphala is presently a Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and the Honorary President of the Buddhist Association of China.
He also formerly served as a Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress, Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China
Head of the powerful Chamdo clique. Read my post: The Still Powerful Chamdo Clique
Was seated in the first row during the cultural performance next 

Seating next to Liu He and Gen Zhang Youxia

•    Samding Dorjee Phagmo

Born in December 1942 in Lhasa, she was (is) the highest female reincarnation in Tibet.
She is presently Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the TAR and Vice Chairperson of the All-China Women’s Federation.
Read my post: The Lamas who will select the Chinese 15th Dalai Lama
 
Small lady in the first row

Tibetan generals serving in the PLA

  •  Maj Gen Ngawang, Deputy Chief of Staff of the TMD
    Attended the encounter between Xi Jinping and WTC/TMD
  • Maj Gen Thubten Thinley, probably responsible for the recruitment of the Tibetans in the PLA 
Attended the encounter between Xi Jinping and WTC/TMD

See my post: Tibetan Faces in the PLA

Missing-in-Action
Gyaltsen Norbu, Chinese selected 11th Panchen Lama; was touring Gansu province. Was probably not welcome in Lhasa

 Lonely Gyaltsen Norbu in Gansu


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