Robert Barnett

🧵1/ NEW ARTICLE: “Vanishing Quotas” — a deep dive into how the CCP under Xi Jinping is quietly but systematically dismantling Tibetan political representation in favour of Han dominance. @TheChinaJournal A thread.👇

🚨NEW PRIMER 🚨 ‘🇬🇧 should neither confront 🇨🇳 over Tibet, nor cave in, but maintain a consistent position based on its unique historical position there,’ argues Matthew Akester, independent Tibet analyst, in a new #Primer #ChinaObservatory geostrategy.org.uk/research/the-a…

🚨NEW PRIMER 🚨 ‘🇨🇳 has severely curtailed the prospect of autonomy for #Tibet and moved towards full assimilation,’ argues Matthew Akester, independent Tibet analyst #ChinaObservatory #Primer geostrategy.org.uk/research/the-a…

Benno Weiner's talk on the history of Sino-Tibetan borderlands, focusing on "pluralistic promises" vs "revolutionary impatience" in Amdo: Friday 18th Jul at 15:00 CET (9am EST, 2pm UK, 630 IST). remote-xuar.com/events/making-…

Thanks @RobbieBarnett for referring to work by Benno Weiner and me for this @ChinaFile discussion on the Dalai Lama’s succession chinafile.com/conversation/d…

11/ This shift is not merely symbolic—it has real consequences for who sets policy, controls resources, and speaks for Tibetans in the eyes of the Party-state. Minority quotas once provided Tibetans with a stake in the Party-state system. No more.

10/ The result? A steady erosion of Tibetan political agency and autonomy. What we’re witnessing is not just marginalization, but a reengineering of the political architecture to entrench Han settler colonial rule.

9/ At the county level, Han cadres hold nearly three-quarters of Party secretary positions. Most were born in Tibet or nearby, part of the 'second-generation [Han] Xizang' (藏二代) elite with deep roots in Tibet—and deep loyalty to Beijing.

8/ At the prefecture level, Han officials now control the majority of Party secretary and mayoral posts—even in “autonomous” regions where minority leadership was once mandatory.

7/ Minority quotas? Replaced with vague calls for “optimizing cadre structures.” Promotions? Based on “virtue & merit” and Party loyalty—not ethnicity. The Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy is now dead letter rather than guiding principle.

6/ Since 2012, tens of thousands of Han cadres have flooded into the TAR under the Tibet-Aid Project. These outsiders are not just support staff—they’re promoted into key leadership roles and many decide to stay after their 3 years of service.

4/ Tibetans are still well-represented in ceremonial bodies like the People’s Congress and CPPCC. But in the real corridors of power—Party committees, standing committees, and executive roles—Han cadres dominate.

3/ Using @DoctorDev's dataset of 12,000+ cadres in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) from 2010–2024, we document a sharp decline in Tibetan representation—especially in powerful Party and state positions.

2/ The PRC once promised minority self-governance through “regional ethnic autonomy.” In Tibet, this meant quotas for minority cadres at every level of governance. Those days are over.

The #Chinese government has issued a notice stating that Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the abbot of Lung Ngon Monastery in Gade County, Golok Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tibet, has passed away. However, they have not released his body to the monastery or family members

Technique 🤌

Update: A new border Settlement near along the Milin River, 29.07895° N, 94.21987° E. An under-construction Settlement identified in our earlier research has now transformed into a full-fledged border settlement. This settlement is right next to our claim line, approximately 8…

And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. 8/

Recent imagery courtesy of @Maxar shows continued Chinese construction efforts on sites in the disputed areas in northern Bhutan. These photos were taken in November 2024 and show progress at the villages of Jielobu, Mabjathang, Demalong and Minjiuma. 📸 @Maxar 🇨🇳🇧🇹

除了西藏定日县之外拉仔县也是地震重灾区之一，因没能第一时间获得救援，藏人伤亡和房屋倒塌，寺院受损等情况严重。 网红卓玛说： 这里是拉仔县芒普乡，这位大哥的六岁小孩不幸遇难，我想捐款两千元。大哥说： 感谢你捐助，我只拿一百元，其余的你捐助另外有困难的家庭。（大哥的话让我瞬间泪喷）