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Tibet Digest July 2019

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TIBET DIGEST, JULY 2019 ! !1

Tibet Digest is a monthly publication brought out by FNVA containing relevant news pertaining to Tibet, Chinese politics and Sino Indian relations that appear mostly but not restricted to the Chinese state media.

July 2019 1 China’s Tibet Policy 6 320 villages listed as key rural tourism spots 6

China dispatches 2,307 young cadres in aid for Tibet, Qinghai 6

Tibet relics to be exhibited in Beijing 7

Tibetans Beaten, Detained in Kardze Over Dalai Lama Photos 7

11th Panchen Lama goes to Ngari for Buddhist activities 8

Tibetan Jailed in Qinghai For Listening to Foreign News Broadcasts is Freed Early For ‘Good Behavior’ 9

26 prehistoric human activity sites discovered on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 9

Tibet funds poor students through paper recycling 10

Reservation required for visiting Potala Palace 10

Top political advisor stresses ethnic, religious affairs, poverty alleviation 10

Tibetan Buddhism Suppressed: Lamas Closely Monitored, Temple Destroyed 11

Lhasa posts double-digit increase of visitor arrivals 12

Travel Restrictions Imposed on Sichuan’s Yachen Gar Buddhist Center 12

Communist China to provide ‘guidance’ to temples, churches 13

China denies reports of having Xinjiang-like mass detention camps in Tibet 14

Top political adviser praises work of religious committee 14

China forces tourists to install an app that steals data 15

Thousands of Monks, Nuns ‘Politically Re-Educated’ After Eviction From Sichuan’s Yachen Gar 15

Environment 16 China Establishes AI monitoring platform to protect wildlife 16

Air pollutants from South Asia linked to glaciers melting 17

Scientists launch survey on depth of major lake in Tibet 17

Yueyang's diligent protection of the Yangtze River 18

Chinese scientists launch survey on depth of major lake in Tibet 18

China’s Three Gorges Dam Surrounded by Geological Faults 19

China says Three Gorges Dam safe after satellite images show structure ‘at risk of collapse’ 20

Chinese scientists launch program to tackle glacier melting on Tibetan Plateau 21

East and South Asia Are the Largest Sources of Black Carbon Blanketing the Tibetan Plateau 21

China cleans up rural environment 23

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau plays key role in enhancing East Asian monsoon under global warming 23

Lhasa launches 80 new energy buses to protect the environment 24

China Focus: Herdsmen guarding China's "water tower” 24

Tibet combats severe drought using artificial rain 25


New buoy system adopted to monitor lake environment in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 25

Military and Infrastructure Development 26 10 Chinese officers promoted to rank of general 26

Xi stresses focusing on reform to strengthen military 26

Earth’s largest radio telescope identifies 86 pulsars 27

Chinese Navy increases aircraft carrier pilot recruits 27

China launches new remote sensing satellites 28

White paper expounds on missions, tasks of China's armed forces in new era 28

Number of noncombatants in Chinese military almost halved 28

Russia, China To Cooperate On Creation Of Ultra Powerful Lasers - Russian Scientists 29

China #1 in quantum entanglement 30

India building 61 strategic roads along Pakistan, China borders 30

Tibet Military Region forces mobilize to Xinjiang for live-fire mock combat exercise 30

Sichuan-Tibet Railway progress picks up steam 31

China to launch constellation of remote sensing satellites 32

China Politics 32 China to unveil more measures to boost consumption, tourism 32

CPC meeting analyzes economic situation, reviews accountability regulation, inspection report 32

Xi presides over symposium for soliciting advice on economic work 34

Sino-Indian Relations 35 India-China talks on vexed LAC issue on track: Eastern Army Commander 36

India-China border trade through Lipulekh Pass gathers pace 37

India, China to hold joint military drill in Meghalaya in December 37

Amended India-China tax treaty protocol enters into force 37

China Returns To Dirty Tricks Over Arunachal Pradesh, Claims Bomdila Earthquake In Tibet 38

Trade point planned at India-China LAC 38

Number of transgressions along India-China border have 39

Centre To Connect 496 India-China Border Villages With IMSAT Satellite 40

Did Chinese Troops Really Enter Deep Into Ladakh To Stop Dalai Lama’s Birthday Celebrations? 40

‘LAC protests not possible without China support’ 41

Army chief refutes report of Chinese incursion in Demchok 41

Sikkim: Bust of Iron man of Natula Inaugurated at Natula 41

India keeping close watch on Chinese dams on Brahmaputra 42

China and the Region 42 The elusive China-Nepal rail link: High costs and risks, uncertain benefits 42


Needed: A trilateral pact on the Brahmaputra river 43

In new pact, Nepal and China agree to increase weekly flights to 98 44

China majorly increasing footprint in Nepal: Experts 45

China gifts warship to Sri Lanka 46

‘Liberal’ policy chief unlikely to mean a softening on Xinjiang from China 47

India & Nepal: China Lurks But Here Is How We Can Deal With It 49

Tibet in Exile 51 The Dalai Lama legacy: India needs diplomatic policy on the succession issue 51

China Says It Must Select Next Dalai Lama; India Warned Not To Interfere – Analysis 52

US congressman warns China not to meddle in Dalai Lama's succession 53

China can’t pick the new Dalai Lama, say Tibetans 53

Tibet: China's Oppression of Minority Groups Goes Beyond Its Own Borders 54

Taiwan's ruling party calls for close cooperation with Tibet 57

UK Lawmaker Proposes Bill For Reciprocal Access to Tibet 57

Tibetans won’t recognize China-appointed Dalai Lama 58

Special Tibetan general meeting in Oct to discuss reincarnation 59

Tibetans decry Chinese claims on Dalai Lama successor 59

Pompeo: China Pressured Some Countries to Stay Away From the Religious Freedom Meeting 60

China has no right to choose my successor says Dalai Lama 61

Nyima Lhamo urges President Donald Trump for U.S. support for Tibet 61

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Calls for Sanctions Against Xinjiang Party Boss Chen Quanguo 63

Dalai Lama Representative Dismisses Chinese Pressure on India Over Reincarnation 65

China just explicating power showcase: Tibetan administration 66

China says Dalai Lama’s successor should be chosen within the country, India should not interfere 67

Disregard for China's Dalai Lama could affect ties: Beijing 67

Slovak president attacks Beijing’s human rights record 68

Nepal bans spiritual events of Tibetan refugees, further undermining their rights 69

Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib defies Beijing with support for Taiwan and Tibet 71

UNESCO fails its mission to protect unique landscape of Three Parallel Rivers in Tibet 72

Commentaries 74 China’s Military White Paper 2019 – OpEd 74

Inside China’s national defence White Paper 75

Himalayan Blunder : When India gave up on Tibet and what it needs to do now 77

Huawei Technologies’ Links to Chinese State Security 81

Climate emergency in Tibet 81

The Increasing Security Focus in China’s Arctic Policy 82


How WeChat Conquered Tibet 88

Melting glaciers could destabilize Asia 90

‘We’re Almost Extinct: China’s Investigative Journalists Are Silenced under Xi’ 92

The World Needs a Water Treaty 92

The Dalai Lama is within his rights to visit Arunachal Pradesh 94

Which way will the Tibet-Nepal railway go? 97

New Publications 99 In China Dream 99

The State of Ecology of the Tibetan Plateau 99

The McMahon Line: A Century of Discord 99

China’s New Red Guards: The Return of Radicalism and the Rebirth of Mao Zedong. 99

Will Tibet Ever Find Her Soul Again?: India Tibet Relations 1947-1962 - Part 2 99

Tibet: When the Gods Spoke India Tibet Relations (1947-1962) Part 3 (July 1954 - February 1957) 99


China’s Tibet Policy

320 villages listed as key rural tourism spots

chinadaily.com July, 30, 2019

China will support the development of homestay accomodation in the countryside and will regard it as an important factor in the transformation and upgrading of the country’s rural tourism, according to a rural tourism (homestay) works conference held Sunday in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, Xinhua reported. A list of key rural tourism spots was also released at the conference, containing 320 villages in China that were jointly selected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the N a t i o n a l D eve l o p m e n t a n d Re f o r m Commission. The head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism stressed at the conference that the standardized development of homestays in the countryside should be taken as an important starting point for the transformation and upgrade of rural tourism. Countryside homestays should adhere to the village’s own characteristics and should not become a clone of the city hotel or a refurbishment of agritainment, according to the head of the ministry. It should also meet the needs of mass consumption instead of luxury consumption, which deviates from its original purpose. The development of countryside homestays should combine with poverty alleviation work, the head of the ministry stressed, adding that farmers and financially-struck households should be encouraged and guided to participate in providing homestay services as a way of rising up from poverty. Rural tourism should follow the path of green development and put rural protection as the primary concern. Large-scale demolition of rural buildings that will undermine the original style of the countryside should be avoided. A plan to provide special financial support to key rural tourism villages in China was announced, with China Agricultural Bank

providing a 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) credit limit to the nation’s key rural tourism villages in the next five years. Social capital is also welcome to take a part in the construction of countryside homestays, the head of the ministry said. According to a report on national rural tourism development released at the conference, the total number of rural tourism visits reached 1.51 billion in the first half of 2019, an increase of 10.2 percent year-on-year, while the total income of rural tourism stood at 860 billion yuan, an 11.7 percent increase over the same period of 2018. In addition, the total number of people employed in rural tourism in China reached 8.86 million by the end of June, an increase of 7.6 percent year-on-year.

China dispatches 2,307 young cadres in aid for Tibet, Qinghai

Xinhua, July 30, 2019

A total of 2,307 Chinese young cadres were selected to support the local development of Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, with those from central units arriving in the capital cities of Lhasa and Xining Monday. Selected from 105 central units and 17 prov inces and mun ic ipa l i t i e s by t he Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the cadres will spend three years in the regions. The total number of cadres selected this time increased by 492 from three years ago, and 97 percent of the cadres have a bachelor degree or above. They include 181 people specialized in medical care and 400 specialized in education based on the urgent need for such talent in Tibet and Qinghai. The group bound for Tibet is the ninth of its kind, while the one for Qinghai is the fourth.


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Tibet relics to be exhibited in Beijing

Thousands of kilometers lie between the Forbidden City in Beijing, China's imperial palace complex from 1420 to 1911, and the Tashihunpo Monastery in Shigatse Tibet Autonomous Region, built in 1447 and now the seat of the Panchen Lama, a Tibetan spiritual leader. The two historic buildings are of immense importance to China since they both have helped maintain social stability and harmony among different ethnic groups in the past half millennia. Now they will be joined by a major, three-month exhibition on Tibetan heritage set to open in December in the Meridian Gate Gallery at the Beijing complex, which is now the Palace Museum. In an announcement on Tuesday, Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, said the exhibition, featuring over 220 cultural relics, will be the first thematic display of cultural relics of the Panchen Lama in the 94-year history of the Forbidden City as a public museum. The museum also will launch a series of heavy weight exhibitions celebrating the 600th anniversary in 2020, of the founding of the Forbidden City. The Manchu royal family of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) piously fol lowed T ibetan Buddhism. The Palace Museum houses over 40,000 cultural relics associated with that religion, including many gilded Buddhist statues and thangka (Tibetan Buddhist painted scrolls). "When I met the (11th) Panchen Lama, we had a pleasant review of development in Tibet in recent years," Wang recalled. "And I really appreciated that he cared very much about the Tibetan Buddhist relics in the Palace Museum. "We nurtured an idea to use these legacies left by ancient people reflecting the close connection between the central government and Tibet throughout time. They are the best evidence of historical memories." Wang added that exchange of collections of Buddhist cultural relics between Tibet and the

re s t o f Ch i na w i l l im p rove cu l t u ra l communication. For the exhibition, 140 articles from the Palace Museum and 80 from Tashihunpo Monastery have been selected. They cover a wide time span, from the first to the ninth Panchen Lama, roughly from the 14th century to the 1930s. "Tashihunpo is a trove of cultural splendour, but opportunities to showcase that are rare," said Liu Shizhong, director of the cultural her i tage admin i s t ra t ion o f t he T ibe t Autonomous Rregion. "Most exhibits from Tashihunpo have not been moved from the monastery in centuries. "They not only prove Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times, but also explain Chinese people's wish for good fortune through auspicious signs," he said. Tashihunpo became the seat of the Panchen Lama in 1607 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Qing Emperor Kangxi bestowed the honorary title Panchen Erdeni on the fifth Panchen Lama in 1713, and gave him a gold seal, meaning the religious title was formally recognized by the central government of China. The seal will be on display in the upcoming exhibition, according to Luo Wenhua, a researcher at the Palace Museum and curator of the exhibition. "There was a social upheaval from the second half of the 17th century to the first half of 18th century," Luo said. "The Qing Dynasty was enduring a long process of uniting the country, and the Panchen Lamas made great contr ibut ions as re l ig ious leaders to maintaining the stability of Tibet and the rule of the Qing central government in the region." In subsequent years, exchanges between the Qing royal court and Panchen Lamas were frequent－many gifts were exchanged between Beijing and Shigatse.

Tibetans Beaten, Detained in Kardze Over Dalai Lama Photos

RFA, July 29, 2019

Police in western China’s Sichuan province beat Tibetan villagers found with photos of the Dalai Lama in their homes following the exiled spiritual leader’s bir thday this month, detaining others who had performed public


prayers for the Dalai Lama’s long life, Tibetan sources said. The assaults took place af ter officials conducted a search of subsidized housing in two resettlement communities in Palyul (in Chinese, Baiyu) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a local source told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “They found the photos of the Dalai Lama on display in the homes, when they were inspecting the housing units,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “ La t e r t h e l o ca l o f fi c i a l s r e t u r ned , accompanied by armed police dressed in black, and took down and confiscated all the photos, beating and slapping anyone who had put the pictures up in their homes.” Members of the two resettlement communities had also burnt juniper and recited prayers on the occasion of the Dalai Lama’s 84th birthday on July 6, and several residents had been detained by police, the source said. “Consequently, tensions remain high, with several people in the communities taken into custody.” Only residents of the state-subsidized homes in t he Tromey and Nat ha re se t t l emen t communities had been attacked by police, with Tibetans not part of the government housing scheme were spared from the searches and violence, he said. Details of the date of the assaults and detentions and the names and number of those detained were not immediately available, RFA’s source said. Authorities in Kardze had earlier launched a new push against possession of photos of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, traveling to remote areas that had previously escaped police attention, Tibetan sources said in earlier reports. The campaign, which began at the end of April, targeted Serthar county in Kardze but is also being enforced in other areas of the eastern Tibetan region historically known as Kham, a Tibetan living in Switzerland said. “Chinese officials have banned the display of Dalai Lama photos in every family home of my native place in Serthar,” former political prisoner Golog Jigme said, citing sources in the county. Though possession and display of photos of the Dalai Lama, widely reviled by Chinese

leaders as a “separatist,” have long been restricted in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in western Chinese provinces, officials are now traveling even to hard-to-reach nomadic areas to enforce the ban, Jigme said. Chinese officials from government bureaus monitoring religious practice are also visiting Tibetan schools and warning teachers and students not to keep or display the photos, Jigme said, adding that local Tibetans have also been urged to tell high-ranking Chinese visitors of the “big improvements in their living conditions” owing to government subsidies. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile in India in the midst of a failed 1959 national uprising against Chinese rule, and displays by Tibetans of the Dalai Lama’s photo or public celebrations of his birthday have been harshly punished in the pst.

11th Panchen Lama goes to Ngari for Buddhist activities

tibet.cn, July 29, 2019

The 11th Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo recently arrived in Ngari, Tibet to carry out Buddhist activities. On July 21, the 11th Panchen Lama arrived at Chuguo Temple at the foot of Gangdise Holy Mountain and on the southern banks of Lake Manasarovar and held a grand lake worship ceremony. As one of three major holy lakes in Tibet, beautiful Lake Manasarovar is a holy place for Buddhists to worship. Hearing that the 11th Panchen Lama would come to Chuguo Temple, local people dressed in festive clothing and came one after another, waiting for the 11th Panchen Lama to receive his blessings.


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On July 22, the 11th Panchen Lama visited Khorchak Monastery, a famous monastery of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Khorchak Monastery, located in Burang County, was built by the Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo in the year 996 AD and is over 1,000 years old.

Tibetan Jailed in Qinghai For Listening to Foreign News

Broadcasts is Freed Early For ‘Good Behavior’

RFA, July 29, 2019

Authorities in northwestern China’s Qinghai province have released a Tibetan man jailed for just over four years for accessing news reports by foreign broadcasters, releasing him early for “good behavior” and hard work in prison, according to a Tibetan source. Yonten Rabgye, a native of Chigdril (in Chinese, Jiuzhi) county in the Golog (Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was freed on July 26, just under two years before his six-year sentence was due to end, and was taken to his hometown by police, a local source told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “Some of his family members and relatives had gone to welcome him at the prison gate, but three Chinese policemen escorted him home,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “At present, his overall health condition is in terrible shape, but there is no visible damage to his limbs,” the source said, adding, “At the moment, it is not clear to what extent the Chinese authorities may restrict his movements and conduct in the future.” Arrested in Chigdril on March 13, 2015 and charged with “accessing illegal Tibetan news content,” Rabgye was sentenced to a six-year term, of which he served four years and four months before being released, the source said. “Rabgye’s mother fell ill and passed away only two-and-a-half months into his sentence, and he could not see her before she died,” he said. “Yonten Rabgye is an ordinary nomad who gets along well with others and is known as a well-mannered person in his community,” the source said.

But now, with a Chinese national campaign against “black and evil forces” in full swing in Tibetan areas, family members and friends in the community are finding it “inconvenient” to openly celebrate Rabgye’s release, he added. Writing to RFA, another Tibetan source described Rabgye as a “man of action.” “What Yonten Rabgye endured for so many years in prison was not because of some trivial personal matter, but because of his sincere love, loyalty, and patriotism for the Tibetan people,” the source said. Foreign news broadcasts are heavily restricted in Tibetan areas of China, and authorities frequently monitor online discussions and search cellphones for what they consider politically sensitive content.

26 prehistoric human activity sites discovered on Qinghai-Tibet

Plateautibet.cn, July 25, 2019

Researchers have found 26 prehistoric sites with evidence of human activities during an expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, according to the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research covers 16 counties and prefectures in southwest China's T ibet Autonomous Region spanning around 8,000 square kilometers. A total of 58 prehistoric sites with evidence of human activities have been found, 13 of them are of great significance for archeological studies, according to the researchers. "Discovery of these sites is one of the greatest achievements of this expedition," said Yang Xiaoyan, who heads a team of the expedition, "through further studies, we can reveal the geographical changes, social and economic c o n d i t i o n s a n d eve n t e c h n o l o g i c a l communication of the prehistoric humans in the region." The field research and sampling have been completed and the research team will conduct further analysis and tests on the gathered samples. The teams will also conduct studies on the 1,442 pieces of stoneware found at the sites. The expedition is par t of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the


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Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that began in June 2017. Lasting five to 10 years, the expedition will conduct a series of studies focusing on the plateau's glaciers, biodiversity and ecological changes, and will also monitor changes in the region's climate. China's first comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau took place in the 1970s and covered more than 50 disciplines including structural geology, paleontology, geophysics, climatology, zoology and botany.

Tibet funds poor students through paper recyclingXinhua, July 24, 2019

LHASA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is seeking an environmentally friendly model of poverty alleviation by raising funds for poor students through waste paper recycling. Twenty needy students from Shuanghu County in the hinterland of Tibet, the world's highest county with an average elevation of 5,000 meters, started their summer learning in the regional capital Lhasa on Wednesday, with their costs covered by the proceeds of recycled paper. "It is my first time in Lhasa, and I'd like to have a look at the Potala Palace," said Losang Gyacan, a fifth grader. The students will also enjoy a drone show and visit the Tibet Museum of Natural Science. The public welfare program was co-launched by the Tibet Charity Federation and Yixing Social Service Center, a local non-profit organization. Wang Tao, Yixing's founder, said that the money raised through recycling will also be used to provide free tutoring every weekend to poor students in several communities in Lhasa, Xigaze and other cities in the region. As of early July, 39 public institutions and social enterprises have responded to the program and collected nearly 40,000 kg of waste paper, raising more than 35,000 yuan (about 5,092 U.S. dollars). "With the support of social sectors, it is worthwhile to explore this model of 'recycling for poverty alleviation' to improve education," said Hu Yong, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Shuanghu County Committee.

Reservation required for visiting Potala Palace


LHASA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- From Sunday, to visit the World Heritage site Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, tourists should make an appointment one day in advance. "Visitors can book tickets through the official website. They can also make reservations at the ticket office with their ID cards," said the palace's administrative office. The reservation service will start from 8 a.m., and each person can reserve up to four tickets. July is the peak tourist season in Tibet. Apart from the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa will also adopt the appointment system for visitors to come at specified time as of Sunday. From July 22, an appointment to visit from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. should be made one day in advance, and the appointment service is available from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., said the administrative committee of the Jokhang Temple. S ta t i s t i c s f rom t he reg iona l t ou r i sm administration show that in the first half of 2019, Tibet received about 13.4 million tourists, an increase of 20.2 percent year on year. Nearly 13.3 million domestic tourists and more than 118,600 international tourists visited Tibet from January to June, up 20 percent and 53.5 percent year on year, respectively. The purpose of adopting the appointment system is to solve the contradiction between the protection and utilization of cultural relics and to ensure the sustainable utilization of the Potala Palace and other cultural resources, according to the official website of the Potala Palace.

Top political advisor stresses ethnic, religious affairs, poverty alleviation

tibet.cn July 19, 2019

China's top political advisor Wang Yang underlined the efforts to properly handle ethnic and religious affairs, push forward poverty relief and maintain control of the fight against separatism.


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Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the statement during an inspection trip to northwest China's Qinghai Province on Tuesday and Wednesday. He instructed the province, home to a large number of ethnic Tibetan people, to uphold the Par ty's principles on religious af fairs, streamline the management of temples and monasteries and stand firm against the infiltration of foreign forces. He urged Qinghai to utilize both law-based administration over religious affairs and self-management of religious circles. The local authorities were told to respond to the increasing interaction among ethnic groups and create favorable conditions for different ethnic groups to live, study and work together, so as to support more extensive and deeper exchanges. Wang also asked authorities in Tibetan-inhabited regions to advance pover ty alleviation projects, address problems such as safe drinking water and housing, develop local specialty industries and protect the natural environment.

Tibetan Buddhism Suppressed: Lamas Closely Monitored, Temple

DestroyedBitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty and human

rights in China, July 18, 2019, Zhang Feng (Pseudonym)

Two temples in Shanxi were subjected to crackdowns: authorities have taken full control The clampdown on Tibetan Buddhism is in full over one of them, while the other has been turned into ruins, lama arrested. force in the year marking the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Lhasa that brutally ended Tibet’s autonomy and forced the Dalai Lama to e x i l e . T w o m o r e t e m p l e s i n t h e northern province of Shanxi succumbed to the CCP’s persecution. Temple remains in the name only Jixiang Temple (literally translated as Auspicious Temple) is located on Mount Wutai (also known as Mount Qingliang or by its

Chinese name Wutaishan) in Xinzhou, a city of the northern province of Shanxi. The mountain was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, and it is one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism and home to the most important China’s monasteries and temples. Also known as Qingliang Bridge, Jixiang Temple was built originally during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and expanded over the years, adding more buildings. Guru Nenghai (能海海上師, 1886-1967), an eminent Buddhist monk, once established a place for performing Tantric rites there, promoted Tibetan Buddhism, and cultivated many eminent monks. According to knowledgeable local sources, starting in March, police officers were stationed at Jixiang Temple, restricting lamas from traveling or holding religious activities and meeting with the Buddhists residing outside the temple. Before, more than 70 surveillance cameras were installed in the temple. Every pilgrim or tourist who visits the temple must have their ID information registered and faces questioning by police. A sign “Temple Under Maintenance; No Admittance” has been displayed at the entrance to the temple, and tourists are nowhere to be seen. Bu t in real i ty, maintenance work on the temple was ordered to be stopped a long time ago. Another source who requested anonymity revealed that the local government repeatedly issued orders, prohibiting temples from receiving lamas from other areas because of the current focus on suppressing Tibetan Buddhism. If a lama comes to seek refuge, he or she must be taken to the county’s Religious Affairs Bureau for investigation. The officials also threatened Buddhists to revoke the temple’s religious venue registration certificate if they go against the regulations. According to the source, the government wants to investigate all lamas from Tibet who have come to the area to spread Buddhism, because of their fear of Tibetan independence and the Dalai Lama’s influence. Police bring arrested handcuffed lama to watch temple demolition Another temple in Wutai county was forcibly demolished in the winter. One lama was


arrested, while other believers and masters were dispersed. According to a villager, the name of the arrested lama is Kabpa. Having come from Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern province of Sichuan, he has lived in Wutai county for more than 20 years. An eyewitness said that three days after Kabpa was arrested, the local government dispatched approximately 200 personnel, including armed police and firefighters, to demolish the temple’s 16 buildings. Police officers escorted Kabpa, in handcuffs and leg shackles, to the scene, who could not stop crying seeing the temple being demolished. After the temple was turned to ruins, the lama was taken away; his current whereabouts are unknown. Some villagers say he was sent back to Ganzi Prefecture; others claim that he is kept in Xinzhou. Residents report that local p o l i c e o f fi c e r s s t a r t e d f r e q u e n t i n g the village where the temple was located in 2015. Claiming to be “maintaining public order,” in reality, they were looking for visiting lamas or monks. Sometimes, officers were heavily armed and accompanied by dogs. Villagers said that if any out of town masters or monks were discovered, they were immediately sent back to their place of origin, and the housing units they rented were sealed off, a fine imposed on landlords.

Lhasa posts double-digit increase of visitor arrivalstibet.cn July 18 2019

Lhasa, capital of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, saw more than 6.42 million visitors to the city in the first half of 2019, up 18.72 percent year on year, local tourism authorities said Wednesday. The city raked in 10.9 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) from tourism in the same period, up 25.46 percent year on year, according to the Lhasa tourism development bureau. Lhasa is home to some of China's most renowned cultural and tourist sites such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. In a bid to attract more winter tourists, Tibet has rolled out a spate of preferential policies including waiving admission charges for some

scenic spots and discounted flights during the winter.

Travel Restrictions Imposed on Sichuan’s Yachen Gar Buddhist

CenterRFA, July 15, 2019

Authorities in western China’s Sichuan province have imposed tight travel restrictions on the Yachen Gar Tibetan Buddhist center, barring visits from outside the area and setting up checkpoints to monitor the movements of vehicles, Tibetan sources say. The new restrictions follow efforts beginning in May to reduce the number of monks and nuns living at the sprawling complex in Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture’s Palyul (Baiyu) county, with thousands forced out and sent back to their hometowns for political re-education. Now, authorities have issued a temporary travel permit allowing travel to and from Yachen Gar only by those residents allowed to remain, a source living in the area told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “A large checkpoint has been set up at the outskirts of Yachen Gar and is staffed by police around the clock to make sure that anyone traveling back and forth has the permit in their possession,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Another checkpoint closer to Yachen Gar also checks for travel permits,” the source said, adding that anyone found moving in or out of the area without permission is considered to be traveling illegally. The travel permit, a copy of which was recently obtained by RFA, is valid until March 2020 and was issued by Palyul county’s Yachen Monastery Management Committee. It bears the committee’s official seal. In addition to controlling traffic flows at Yachen Gar, “Chinese authorities have also put up surveillance cameras at all intersections of Yachen Gar and are even using drones to keep a watch on things,” RFA’s source said. “Under surveillance this strict, including on the internet, anyone passing information to outsiders is putting themselves at risk,” he said. An unfolding strategy


http://tibet.cn

Since removals began in May, around 3,500 monks and nuns had been forced to leave Yachen Gar, while around 600 Chinese officials had been permanently stationed at the center to “maintain a tight watch” over those who remain and check on all outside visitors. Restrictions on Yachen Gar and the better-known Larung Gar complex in Sichuan’s Serthar (Seda) county are part of “an unfolding polit ical strategy” aimed at controlling the influence and growth of these important centers for Tibetan Buddhist study and practice, a Tibetan advocacy group said in a March 2017 report. “[Both centers] have drawn thousands of Chinese practitioners to study Buddhist ethics and receive spiritual teaching since their establishment, and have bridged Tibetan and Chinese communities,” the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet said. During 2017 and 2018, at least 4,820 Tibetan and Han Chinese monks and nuns were removed from Larung Gar, with over 7,000 dwellings and other structures torn down beginning in 2001, according to sources in the region. Last month, Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, called China’s restrictions on Yachen Gar an “egregious violation of the freedom of religion,” telling RFA at the time that restrictions in Tibet are “going from bad to worse.”

Communist China to provide ‘guidance’ to temples, churches

Times of India, July 14, 2019, Saibal Dasgupta

BEIJING: Communist Party leaders have decided to provide guidance to religious institutions in China “so that they can better adapt themselves to socialist society”. The decision emerged from a meeting of the national committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which met to discuss the management of temples and churches in the country, official Xinhua news agency said. The meeting was led by Wang Yang, a member of the most power powerful standing committee of the political bureau of the Communist Party. He also called for efforts “to

improve and make innovations in the management of temples and churches in accordance with the law”, Xinhua reported. The party was referring to Buddhist and Taoist temples, which have been receiving more visitors than in the past. There is also some concern in the official atheist party about a section of the Chinese wealthy getting interested in matters of spirituality. The party had earlier warned its members against pa r t i c i pa t i ng i n re l i g iou s f unc t i on s . Management of churches has always been a thorny issue because China is opposed to the Pope taking the final decision in the appo in tmen t o f b i shops o f Ca t ho l i c churches. But there has been some easing in restrictions, with Beijing recently approving the appointments of a bishops done by the Vatican. The decision to “guide” religious institutions shows that the party has not been happy with the state of things, and is getting ready to issue new orders about instilling values of patriotism and socialism in religious practices. The meeting involved 11 national and several other leaders representing different Chinese provinces. Even more significant was that the CPPCC, which is the topmost political advisory body, opened up this discussion over a digital platform available on smartphones. The idea was to encourage wider consultation among party leaders in different parts of the country. China has been using mobile phone apps for consensus-building though critics say the decision-making process is top down because the party cadre usually echo the views of senior leaders. The country’s political advisors emphasised the need for shrine managers to utilise the internet and big data to set up a digital platform for religious affairs m a n a g e m e n t . T h e y a l s o p r o p o s e d improvement in policies, laws and regulations to better guide temples and churches to strengthen self-management, Xinhua said


China denies reports of having Xinjiang-like mass detention camps

in TibetIndia Today, July 12, 2019

China on Friday dismissed as "totally untrue" reports of having Xinjiang-like mass detention centers in Tibet. Head of the Tibetan government-in exile Lobsang Sangay, in an interview to the BBC earlier this month, said that such detention camps existed in Tibet. When asked about the reports that such camps were being held by China in Tibet too, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, during a media briefing on Friday, said, "What has been motioned in the report is totally untrue." Geng Sangey, in the BBC's 'Hard Talk' program on July 1, had said that the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) secretary of Xinjiang Chen Quanguo was previously the party secretary of Tibet before he was shifted to Xinjiang. "He is the same architect. He implemented the same repressive policies in Tibet for five years which he is implementing in one year time in Xinjiang," Sangey had claimed. "We do have these camps, but not as large as the Uighur camps. So, lot of people have been s en t f o r educa t i on t h rough l abou r, imprisonment, tension," he said. Asked whether he has any figure about the number of people detained in such camps in Tibet, he said "that we didn't know. Even for Xinjiang it is being estimated that more than million or more (have been detained)." "As far as we know the political prisoners who were arrested and imprisoned (in Tibet) we are talking of few thousands," he said. Meanwhile, facing strong criticism over the detention camps in restive Xinjiang, where over 11 million Uighur Muslims of Turkik origin live, China on Thursday lodged a diplomatic protest with 22 countries, labelling as "slander" a letter sent by these countries to top United Nations officials condemning Beijing's mass detention of ethnic Uighur Muslims and other minorities. Reports from the UN and other international human rights group spoke of mass detention of Uighurs in Xinjiang bordering Afghanistan and

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to tackle violent attacks by the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). In a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, a group of 22 nations urged China to end its "mass arbitrary detentions and related violations" and called on Beijing to allow UN experts to access the region.

Top political adviser praises work of religious committee

China Daily July 4, 2019

China's top political adviser, Wang Yang, met representatives from the China Committee on Religion and Peace on Wednesday and said the committee has become a window for the country to introduce its religious policies to the world. "The committee has been actively introducing the real situation of religious freedom in China to the world," said Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "It has provided an important platform for the count r y ' s po l i t i ca l adv i sor y body to communicate with the world, and made positive contributions to creating an external e n v i r o n m e n t c o n d u c i v e t o C h i n a ' s development," he said. Established in 1994, the China Committee on Religion and Peace is a nonprofit organization consisting of representatives from the five major religions in China - Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. The committee has about 100 representatives who are also members of the National Committee of the CPPCC, the country's political advisory body. The committee is under the commission for ethnic and religious affairs of the CPPCC. The committee aims to promote unity and harmony among religious groups and further exchanges and cooperation with religious circles around the world. It also wants to safeguard the unification of the country and strive for world peace and common prosperity. On Wednesday, the committee reviewed its work report of the past five years and elected new board members. Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, honorary president of the China


Buddhist Association, was elected as committee president. According to the committee's work report delivered during the meeting, it has actively helped China's social development, contributed to regional peace and stability, made progress in opposing violence and religion extremism and promoted human rights. In the past five years, the committee organized 20 trips abroad and received eight foreign groups to improve its influence internationally, the report said. It also organized two international meetings and signed three cooperation documents with other international organizations that promote peace among religions, it said. The committee has always safeguarded the country's dignity and interests dur ing international exchanges, especially when it involves Taiwan and Tibet issues, the report said. Wang said the committee should continue to guide religions to better adapt to socialist society and find better ways to tell the world about China's religious stories so the country can be heard in religious circles. He urged committee members to contribute to world peace and the building of a shared future for mankind.

China forces tourists to install an app that steals data

CNBC, July 3, 2019, David Reid

Police in China are secretly installing spy apps on phones of visitors to the country that can extract emails, texts and address contacts, according to a cross-media investigation. Evidence gathered by the New York Times, The Guardian in England and Suddeutsche Zeiting in Germany has claimed that travellers are being targeted when they enter the country’s Irkeshtam border crossing with Kyrgystan. Border guards are seizing tourist phones and, wi t hout ask ing permiss ion, ins ta l l ing surveillance software on the devices. The app, said to be designed by a Chinese company, searches for phones based on the Android operating system and checks its content against topics and media that the Chinese government considers inappropriate.

The gathering of information in China’s Xinjiang region has been part of an effort by Beijing authorities to restrict and monitor activities of the local Muslim population, according to The Guardian report. The report says such material ranges from terms associated with Islamist extremism and weapons operation manuals to apparently innocuous information such as fasting during Ramadan and music by a Japanese heavy metal group.

Thousands of Monks, Nuns ‘Politically Re-Educated’ After

Eviction From Sichuan’s Yachen Gar

RFA, July 1, 2019

Thousands of monks and nuns forced out of the Yachen Gar Tibetan Buddhist Center in western China’s Sichuan province and back to their hometowns have been “rounded up” by authorit ies and sent for “polit ical re-education,” according to Tibetan sources. In a campaign beginning in May, the removals targeted mainly residents who had come from areas outside Sichuan to join the remote and sprawling temple complex in Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture’s Palyul (Baiyu) county, which until recent years had housed an estimated 10,000 monks, nuns, and lay practitioners devoted to scriptural study and meditation. Speaking to RFA’s Tibetan Service, a Tibetan living in the area said most of the monks and nuns were from Jomda (Jiangda) and Palbar (Bianba) counties, in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Chamdo (Changdu) prefecture, and had been sent there for political re-education. “The Chinese authorities have ordered that the number of monks and nuns staying at Yachen Gar not exceed more than 4,700, and because of that many monks and nuns have been evicted from the institute,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Those monks and nuns who were forcefully returned to their birthplaces have now been rounded up by local Chinese police and made to attend political re-education classes [at detention centers] in their hometowns.”


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/02/chinese-border-guards-surveillance-app-tourists-phones

The source said that due to “overflowing numbers” at a detention center in Jomda, “many have been sent to Chamdo city for political re-education.” “As soon as they are brought to the detention centers, their cellphones are confiscated, rendering them incommunicado with the outside,” the source added. A second source based in southern India told RFA that some “70 monks and nuns are being held in Jomda and are undergoing thorough political re-education” after being summoned by police upon their return to their hometowns. “The monks and nuns are forced to wear the clothes of laypersons at the detention center and the Chinese authorities make them denounce [Tibetan spiritual leader] the Dalai Lama on a daily basis, as well as memorize political propaganda, which they are later tested on,” said the source, who also declined to be named. “These monks and nuns could be held for political re-education for another several months before they are released to their families. After that, they will be restricted from re-enrolling with any other monasteries or relocating elsewhere.” Last month, sources told RFA that since the removals began in May, around 3,500 monks and nuns had been forced to leave Yachen Gar, while around 600 Chinese officials had been permanently stationed at the center to “maintain a tight watch” over those who remain and check on all outside visitors. To avoid emotional scenes between residents being expelled and their friends who stay behind, no one may accompany those being evicted as they are brought to buses to be taken away, they said. An unfolding strategy Restrictions on Yachen Gar and the better-known Larung Gar complex in Sichuan’s Serthar (Seda) county are part of “an unfolding polit ical strategy” aimed at controlling the influence and growth of these important centers for Tibetan Buddhist study and practice, a Tibetan advocacy group said in a March 2017 report. “[Both centers] have drawn thousands of Chinese practitioners to study Buddhist ethics and receive spiritual teaching since their establishment, and have bridged Tibetan and

Chinese communities,” the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet said. During 2017 and 2018, at least 4,820 Tibetan and Han Chinese monks and nuns were removed from Larung Gar, with over 7,000 dwellings and other structures torn down beginning in 2001, according to sources in the region. Last month, Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, called China’s restrictions on Yachen Gar an “egregious violation of the freedom of religion,” telling RFA at the time that restrictions in Tibet were “going from bad to worse.”

Environment

China Establishes AI monitoring platform to protect wildlife

Global Times, July 31, 2019

The AI big data real-time monitoring platform, co-developed by the Feline Research Center of N a t i o n a l F o r e s t r y a n d G r a s s l a n d Administration, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and HIT Big Data Group, is expected to support research on ecological systems, animal populations and individual animals through advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuro-linguistic processing. Internet of Things, big data and intelligent machine vision will also enable the platform to establish individual recognition models with main recognition elements such as animals' posture, gait, color and fur pattern. Li Fuquan, an official with HIT Big Data Group, said the platform will be preliminarily applied to track and monitor endangered Siberian tigers, leopards and their prey. Forest zones in northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces and border areas between China and Russia


are Siberian tigers and leopards' main habitat. The platform is expected to provide cross-border services for wildlife protection, according to Li. A database for Siberian tigers and leopards will be established to help study the relationship between the changes of ecological environment and the development of the species. "Data can help us better understand wildlife, and more technologies are expected to be introduced to study and protect wild animals," Li added.

Air pollutants from South Asia linked to glaciers melting

Global Times July 31, 2019

Atmospheric pollution has accelerated the glaciers melting in the world's Third Pole which covers the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings, as high levels of air pollutants are extending from South Asia and accumulating on the southern slope of the Himalayas, an international research team found recently. The Third Pole region is noted for its high rates of glacier melt and the associated hydrological shifts that affect water supplies in Asia, the research findings noted. Atmospheric pollutants contribute to climatic and cryospheric changes through their effects on solar radiation and snow and ice surfaces. The research team led by research fellow Kang Shichang from the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science under the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, also found that atmospheric pollution generated in South Asia can be transported via the Indian monsoon and wester l ies, and thus reaches the hinterlands of the Third Pole region. Kang told the Global Times that his team researched in a number of South Asian countries and the country that emitted the most air pollution was India, given its large volume, followed by Pakistan. "India is well aware of the seriousness of pollution in its country. We hope India can control i ts air pollut ion and enhance international cooperation, but funding is a problem," Kang said.

Kang noted that he has been researching this area for more than a decade and wants to raise the public awareness of environmental protection.

Scientists launch survey on depth of major lake in Tibet

Xinhua July 25, 2019

LHASA-Chinese scientists are working on a survey to measure the depth of a major lake in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, sources with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Tuesday. Lake Yamzhog Yumco with an area of about 590 square km is located in Nanggarze County in the city of Shannan. Yamzhog Yumco along with Lake Namtso and Lake Manasarovar are regarded as the three holy lakes of Tibet About 70 km away from Lhasa, capital of the region, the lake has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tibet. This is the first time for Chinese scientists to conduct a comprehensive measurement of the depth contours of the lake. The survey is part of the country’s second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that began in June 2017. Lasting five to 10 years, the expedition will conduct a series of studies focusing on the plateau’s glaciers, biodiversity and ecological changes, and will also monitor changes in the region’s climate. China’s firs t comprehens ive sc ien t ific expedition to the plateau took place in the 1970s and covered more than 50 disciplines including structural geology, paleontology, geophysics, climatology, zoology and botany. Dubbed “the water tower of Asia,” the plateau provides the water supply for many Asian rivers including the Yangtze, Yellow River and Mekong River. As the water resources of the plateau are also vulnerable to the influence of climate change, it is important to find out the water storage of glaciers and lakes and the runoff of rivers.


Yueyang's diligent protection of the Yangtze River

https://www.prnewswire.com July 24,2019

S t re tc h ing f rom wes t to eas t across central China, the Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world. Dongting Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China, is an essential part of the Yangtze River system. About 50 percent of the lake area is in Yueyang, Hunan Province. The lake plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological security and biological diversity of the Yangtze River valley. On April 25, 2018, while on an inspection trip for the Yangtze River Economic Bel t development, President Xi Jinping entrusted the local officials of Yueyang with the task of protecting the river. Since 2018, Yueyang has worked hard to ensure environmental security by shutting down polluting industries and starting remediation projects. Moreover, 16 government officials were appointed as "river chiefs" to regularly inspect major rivers and lakes. Meanwhile, Yueyang has been actively developing its ecological agriculture, green industry, and ecological tourism, setting a good example of ecology-first green development along the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The efforts paid off. What we see today are beautiful green belts on both banks of the Yangtze River. The previously smelly, dirty Dongfeng Lake, which adjoins the Yangtze River through Dongting Lake in downtown Yueyang, is now an area locals go to relax and exercise. The now clean Dongting Lake attracts huge numbers of birds. The influx of birds is obvious proof of the wetland's improving environment. Surveys over the past two years show an increase in the number of new birds flying over to the lake area. In 2018, more than 240,000 water birds passed winter at Dongting Lake, an increase of more than 20,000 from 2017, setting a 10-year-high record. The singing of swans, wild geese and wild ducks adds to the lake's great scenery. Dongting Lake is known as the "Kidney of the Yangtze River," and protection of the Yangtze River is of high importance for the ecological security of China and the world. The joint efforts of Yueyang, Hunan and China at large

work towards one goal: the preservation of the Yangtze River.

Chinese scientists launch survey on depth of major lake in Tibet


LHASA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists are working on a survey to measure the depth of a major lake in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, sources with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Tuesday. Lake Yamzhog Yumco with an area of about 590 square km is located in Nanggarze County in the city of Shannan. Yamzhog Yumco along with Lake Namtso and Lake Manasarovar are regarded as the three holy lakes of Tibet. About 70 km away from Lhasa, capital of the region, the lake has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tibet. This is the first time for Chinese scientists to conduct a comprehensive measurement of the depth contours of the lake. Ju Jianting, a researcher with the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the CAS, said researchers used to only have the water depth data around the lakeshore of Yamzhog Yumco, and they did not have comprehensive knowledge of the lake terrain. Since the shape of Yamzhog Yumco is complicated, researchers decided to measure in three directions on the lake this time. They will use sonar technology to collect the depth data of the lake and draw the lake bottom isobath. The area and the water volume of the lake will also be measured and calculated with the assistance of remote sensing image, according to Ju. The survey is part of the country's second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that began in June 2017. Lasting five to 10 years, the expedition will conduct a series of studies focusing on the plateau's glaciers, biodiversity and ecological changes, as well as monitor changes in the region's climate. China's first comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau took place in the 1970s and covered more than 50 disciplines including structural geology, paleontology, geophysics, climatology, zoology and botany.


Dubbed "the water tower of Asia," the plateau provides the water supply for many Asian rivers including the Yangtze, Yellow River and Mekong River. As the water resources of the plateau are also vulnerable to the influence of climate change, it is important to find out the water storage of glaciers and lakes and the runoff of rivers. Statistics from the CAS show that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has more than 30,000 lakes, covering an area of more than 47,000 square km, accounting for more than half of the total area of the country's lakes. Among them, there are more than 110 lakes covering an area of more than 50 square km, accounting for 67 percent of the total area of China's plateau lakes. However, most lakes lack comprehensive information on water depth and quality. Zhu Liping, deputy director of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the CAS, said as of 2017, the second comprehensive scientific expedition has collected the information of depth and water quality of lakes covering about 28,000 square km. Recently, researchers are investigating the underwater terrain of lakes covering over 50 square km each to learn the comprehensive condition of the water volume of the lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau so as to lay a foundation for the further research on the interrelation of lakes and the climate.

China’s Three Gorges Dam Surrounded by Geological Faults

Epoch Times, July 18, 2019 OLIVIA LI,

Dr. Wang Weiluo, author of "The 36 Tricks of the Three Gorges Project." The Epoch Times Photo Archive (The Epoch Times )

China’s Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and at the

same time, the most notorious dam project in human history. The site selected at the beginning of the project may well have been the prelude to a ser ies of disastrous consequences. Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin forcibly launched the project in 1994, despite strong opposition from Chinese hydrologists, as he sought to boast of political achievements to consolidate his power. Chinese state-run media claimed that after 24 years of geological studies, Chinese geologists proposed in a meeting in 1979 that a small island called Sandouping be chosen as the dam site for the Three Gorges Project. The Three Gorges refer to Quatang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge, bordering Sichuan Province and Hubei Province. Sandouping Island is situated in the middle of Xiling Gorge. These geologists said that the river bottom at Sandouping is relatively wide and the bedrock is hard, intact granite, making it an ideal location for a dam site, according to Chinese media. However, some Chinese hydrologists and geologists have repeatedly warned that there are several seismic faults in the surrounding areas of the dam. Wang Weiluo, a Chinese hydraulic engineer residing in Germany, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times in a recent interview that the dam site is composed of igneous rock, a type of rock formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava, and is relatively solid. However, from a larger scope, the geologic condition of the surrounding area is quite risky for Sandouping to be a dam site. “The dam is located on granite bodies of Huangling anticline, which is surrounded by several big faults. The faults on the west side even directly pass through the reservoirs. All these faults have incurred earthquakes in Chinese history,” Wang said. There are four relatively large earthquake faults in Hubei Province, and three of them are located in proximity to the dam. “Although these faults are short and small, ranging from dozens of miles to approximately 100 miles, being so close to the Three Gorges Dam makes them a serious threat to the safety of the dam,” Wang said.


https://www.theepochtimes.com/author-olivia-li

Professor Weng Lida, former director of the Water Resources Protection Bureau of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission, and one of the lead authors of the April 2007 “Yangtze River Protection and Development Report,” disclosed in the report that the three quake faults inside Hubei Province mentioned by Wang have already caused numerous small quakes since the dam was erected. The Three Gorges’ reservoirs, situated close to these faults, may induce an earthquake sometime later, according to Weng. In December 2013, a 5.1 -magni tude earthquake occurred in Badong County, Hubei Province. The epicenter was only about 70 miles from the Three Gorges Dam. It could well be a warning sign. A dam project in India further illustrates that even for dams and reservoirs on solid geological settings, there’s a high risk that the dams will induce earthquakes. The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is globally recognized that the foundation of the Koyna dam is ideal in that the reservoir was built on the Indian side of the Indian-Australian plate, which was formed several million years ago. This type of geological structure is considered to be the most stable. The dam is located in the Precambrian geological zone, and the rock bottom of the dam is basalt, which is very hard. However, on Dec. 11, 1967, an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 occurred near the dam, the most intensive reservoir earthquake ever documented in human history. Chinese authorities only focused on the bedrock foundation of the dam when telling Chinese people why the dam site was an “ideal location,” while well-known and well-identified seismic fracture zones were located only a few dozen miles away from the massive project. This highly politicized project also sets records for the number of people displaced, the number of cities and towns flooded, and the length of the reservoirs. Moreover, throughout its construction and operation, the project has been plagued by corruption, spiraling costs, environmental impacts, and resettlement difficulties.

China says Three Gorges Dam safe after satellite images show structure

‘at risk of collapse’en.brinkwire.com July 18, 2019

China’s controversial Three Gorges Dam, the world’s biggest hydropower project, is structurally sound, officials said, denying rumours on social media it was at risk of collapse. Safety experts with the government-run China Three Gorges Corporation said on its official website that the Yangtze River dam had moved a few millimetres due to temperature and water level changes, but safety indicators remained well within their normal range. They were responding to a Twitter user who posted satellite photos from Google Maps last week purporting to show the dam had bent and was at risk of breaking. The photos were circulated on domestic social media, sparking concerns over its structural integrity. The central government said the problem was with the satellite imaging, rather than the dam, the Caixin financial news service reported on Tuesday, citing a statement. The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released high-definition satellite images of the dam on its Weibo account to show that the project ‘has no problems at all’. The 185-meter Three Gorges Dam has been one of China’s most expensive and most controversial engineering projects, submerging entire villages, displacing millions of people and disrupting ecosystems. Critics say it has also increased earthquake and landslide risks in the region. In 2011, five years after the dam was built, China admitted the project had caused widespread social and environmental damage and promised 124 billion yuan (£14 billion) in extra funding. A parliamentary delegate said this year that half of the promised money had still not been paid out. Fan Xiao, a Chinese geologist and long-standing critic of giant dam projects, said the rumors reflected the lack of debate about the Three Gorges project, which was now considered a ‘national treasure’ that should not be criticized.


http://en.brinkwire.com

‘If talking about problems is stigmatized, then it is nothing more than putting one’s head in the sand and deceiving oneself,’ Fan posted on his WeChat account on Monday. ‘It will sole no problems and could make them worse,’ he added. Fully functional in 2012, the 248 million yuan (£29 million) Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest in terms of electricity generating capacity, which can reach 22,500 megawatts, according to South China Morning Post. The entire project consists of a dam and five-tier ship lock, in addition to 32 generators.

Chinese scientists launch program to tackle glacier melting on Tibetan

PlateauGlobal Times, July 15, 2019

Chinese scientists have launched the "Third Pole Environment program" at an international workshop in Beijing in a bid to combat environmental changes taking place in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Over the past 100 years, the Third Pole region, also known as the Water Tower of Asia, has experienced the warmest period in the past two millennia, with the peak occurring in the past 30 years, according to data, said Yao Tandong, a professor with the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday. The Third Pole is a high-altitude region covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas, extending over 5 million square kilometers, and is the source of many Asian rivers including the Yangtze, Yellow, Indus and Yarlung Zangbo. Researchers predict that the temperature at the Third Pole may rise by 4 C in the 21st century, according to data released at an international workshop on the Water Tower. "The warming cl imate has caused an imbalance in ratio between water, ice and water vapor, leading to catastrophic consequences caused by glacial lake outbursts and landslides," Yao said. In some places, expansion of lakes might result in the inundation of grasslands and increase in river runoff, threatening the downstream ecology, while other places might run out of water due

to glaciers melting, and oases in arid regions such as the Hexi Corridor and the Qaidam Basin might be difficult to sustain, he elaborated. "We will estimate the changes in the Asian water tower in a comprehensive context, and prepare for the worst scenario," Yao said. Three working groups have been set up to address the issue. Chinese scientists are working with foreign peers to focus on water, ecology and human activities, and conduct research via observation, simulation and impact assessment, the report said. The research aims to develop a solid foundation for international cooperation, Yao said. This year's workshop focused on local water resources, ecosystem and human activities. Scientists from different countries shared their observations, addressed the local impact and provided scientific advice to policymakers.

East and South Asia Are the Largest Sources of Black Carbon

Blanketing the Tibetan PlateauGlacier Hub, July 11, 2019 Carly Roth

A shot of the Amphulaptsa Pass, Nepal, taken during a 2009 expedition that resulted in Kaspari’s 2014 study. The dark layers are a combination of black carbon and dust. (Source: Jesse Cunningham)

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in t h e j o u r n a l S c i e n c e o f t h e To t a l Environment suggests that black carbon and dust play a crucial role in the melting of Tibetan Plateau glaciers—and the researchers t h ink they know the sources of t hat troublesome sediment. “We believe that black carbon, dust, and other light-absorbing impurities must be important


https://glacierhub.org/author/carly-roth/https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/8089/2014/

factors in accelerating … ice melting worldwide,” Yang Li, a coauthor of the study, told GlacierHub. And, according to the study, East and South Asia are the largest sources of black carbon emissions that are transported to the Tibetan Plateau. Black carbon, also called soot, is a byproduct of the partial combustion of organic matter and fossil fuels. Susan Kaspari is an associate professor at Central Washington University and worked previously with Shichang Kang, another one of the study’s authors. “When you see emissions coming off the back of a truck that’s really black, you’re seeing the black carbon,” Kaspari told GlacierHub. Along with fossil fuels, an important source of black carbon is the burning of biofuels, such as wood or animal waste, she added. “[Black carbon] doesn’t stay in the atmosphere a really long time,” Kaspari said. “Usually it will stay in the atmosphere on the scale of a few days to at the most, maybe two weeks.” Gravity and precipitation eventually pull the black carbon back to earth. And that’s where the trouble comes in for glaciers. Scientists describe black carbon, along with dust, as a light-absorbing particle, meaning that due to its dark color it absorbs more energy from the sun compared to other light-colored materials—especially the typically bright-colored surfaces of glaciers. When black carbon settles on snow and ice, “It absorbs more energy from the sun, and then that warms the snowpack or ice, and leads to accelerated melt,” Kaspari said. Kaspari and Kang, among others, published a study in 2011 that detailed how black carbon concentrations in the Tibetan Plateau have increased dramatically. “We documented a three-fold increase from preindustrial to industrial periods, starting around the 1970s, relative to, prior to that period of time,” Kaspari said. Various anthropogenic activities contributed to this increase, including the Kuwait oil fires set by Iraqi forces during the 1991 Gulf War. Li’s new study focused on the Laohugou Basin on the northern slope of the western Qilian Mountains, which lie on the Tibetan Plateau. These mountains lost 20.9 percent of their glacial area—about 22 cubic kilometers of ice—in the past 50 years, according to a study conducted last year.

Li and his co-researchers sampled the ice, snow, and nearby topsoil of the Laohugou Basin glacier during the summer and winter of 2016 and measured concentrations of black carbon and dust. To determine the effect of the black carbon and dust on the amount of energy absorbed by the glacier, they used SNICAR, a model for determining the albedo of snow and ice surface. They found large spaciotemporal variability in the concentrations of black carbon and dust. Still, they concluded that the concentrations of black carbon and dust on the glacier were “comparable to or higher than” concentrations on most other Third Pole glaciers. The concentrations, though, were lower than those of some select glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau, specifically, including the Baishui No. 1 and Xiao Dongkemadi glaciers, which indicated, according to the study, “discrepancies in the deposition, enrichment, and re-exposure of [black carbon] over the Tibetan Plateau.” Li and his coauthors found, however, that dust plays a more important role than black carbon in accelerating melting. Susan Kaspari found a similar result in her 2014 study that measured black carbon and dust on the glacier ice and snow of Solukhumbu, Nepal. “Let’s say you had a hundred parts per billion black carbon, which would be certainly enough black carbon to cause a change in how much energy is being absorbed,” she said. “If you put that on a snow pack that was quite clean, that black carbon could have a really large impact.” “If you took that same amount of black carbon and it was deposited upon a snow pack that already had a lot of dust,” she added, “the efficacy, or how effective that black carbon would be in absorbing energy, would be a lot less because the dust is already absorbing some of that solar radiation that could otherwise be absorbed by the black carbon.” The Tibetan Plateau is a region that is “naturally dusty already,” said Kaspari, who added that the rising temperatures brought about by climate change exacerbate the situation. “As the glaciers are retreating,” she said, “you’re exposing more and more area that used to be covered with glacier that has a lot of dust.”


And that dust, she added, gets blown onto glaciers. Li and his coauthors found local topsoil to be a likely source of not only the glacier’s dust, but also its black carbon. Urban activities, such as automobile exhaust and industrial pollution, release black carbon that pollutes the soil, according to the study. To reduce the amount of black carbon released into the environment, Kaspari suggested more efficient combustion methods, more efficient engines, and the elimination of coal-fired power plants. Natural sources of black carbon, such as wildfires, are more difficult to mitigate. And there’s no feasible way to remove black carbon that’s already settled across the surface of the world’s glaciers. Li told GlacierHub that the results of his study do not speak to the possible concentrations of black carbon in other glaciated regions of the Tibetan Plateau. “The concentrations of black carbon and dust in the Tibetan Plateau glaciers mus t va r y b road l y, because o f t he spatiotemporal variability in wet, dry, and post depositional conditions,” he said. Still, along with other studies that research black carbon concentrations in other glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau, the work of Li and his coauthors adds to our evidence that human activity accelerates the melting of glaciers in Tibet and worldwide.

China cleans up rural environmentXinhua, July 11, 2019

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China's efforts to clean up the living environment for rural res idents are producing encouraging outcomes, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said here Thursday. More than 80 percent of the country's villages have launched clean-up campaigns since the end of last year, disposing of over 40 million tonnes of garbage, 30 million tonnes of mud in ditches and ponds, and rubble in 40 million locations, said Li Weiguo, an official with the ministry. The central authorities issued an action plan to clean up rural environment at the end of last year.

China started construction on over 50,000 garbage treatment facilities and 80,000 sewage treatment facilities in rural areas the first half of this year, Li said at a press conference. Renovation of toilets for more than 10 million rural households were also carried out during the period, after the successful renovation of toilets for over 10 million rural households in 2018. China launched a toilet revolution in 2015 to increase the number and sanitation of toilets at tourist sites. The campaign was expanded to improve public toilets in cities and build better toilets in rural areas. The central government has allocated 7 billion yuan (about 1.03 billion U.S. dollars) to help rural areas press ahead with the toilet revolution since last year. Another 3 billion yuan was allocated for clean-up of rural areas in central and west China regions.

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau plays key role in enhancing East Asian

monsoon under global warmingtibet.cn July 7, 2019

Chinese researchers have discovered that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau plays an essential role in enhancing the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) circulation under global warming. The latest study of Chinese scientists revealed that global warming affects the EASM through enhanced latent heating over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It was jointly conducted by researchers from Jinan University, Sun Yat-Sen University, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. The research found that the enhancement of East Asian summer monsoon caused by the greenhouse effect is due to the thermal forcing over the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Under global warming, the enhanced hydrological recycling and enhanced vertical mois ture advec t ion have t he larges t contribution to the increased precipitation over the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The research was published in the Journal of Climate.


http://tibet.cn

Integrated innovation platform for efficient use of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau biological resources built The Qinghai Province Science and Technology Department disclosed on July 2 that the province has built an integrated innovation platform for the efficient use of biological resources of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The platform will promote an upgrade to the standard for biological resources, Tibetan m e d i c i n a l m a t e r i a l s , a n d r e l a t e d pharmaceuticals in Qinghai Province and will solve key and common professional issues. Known as the world's "Third Pole", the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most concentrated area of biodiversity of high-altitude regions in the world. According to the Qinghai Province Science and Technology Department, the platform took three years to build. It integrates technological development, product research and development, pilot testing, achievement transformation, and industrial services. The building of the platform is led by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology. They have built one production line of high-altitude characteristic resources products and served 13 enterprises, transforming more than 10 new products and science and technology achievements and creating 186 million yuan (27 million US dollars) in economic benefits for businesses. Qinghai is the main area for developing Tibetan medicine in China. There are currently 19 Tibetan medicinal production businesses in Qinghai. In 2018, the total output value of Qinghai's Tibetan medicine industry reached 2.6 billion yuan (0.38 billion US dollars), accounting for 44 percent of the total output value of China's Tibetan medicine industry. The scale of development and comprehensive strength of Qinghai's Tibetan medicine industry ranks first in China.

Lhasa launches 80 new energy buses to protect the environment

Xinhua July 7, 2019

Eighty buses using new energy have been put into use Saturday morning in Lhasa, the capital city of China's southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, which will help reduce vehicle exhaust

emissions and further improve the local air quality. The new buses are all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, equipped with Tibetan-Mandarin bilingual station announcements, driving monitoring and management systems, and auto-alarms, according to the city's bus operation company. The company purchased 110 new energy buses after the city's 104 old buses reached their service lives. The other 30 buses are scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this month. By then, Lhasa will have 422 new energy buses, accounting for more than 80 percent of the city's total buses."Our goal of vigorously promoting new energy vehicles is to implement the low-carbon and green way of traveling, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to protect the clear water and blue sky of the snowy plateau," said Gogyi, general manager of the company.Lhasa plans to replace its old buses with new energy ones by batches, and all of the city's buses are expected to be powered by new energy by 2021, said Gogyi.Currently, Lhasa has 522 buses and 41 bus routes, covering the main urban areas, suburbs and surrounding counties, making it more and more convenient for locals to travel by public transportation.

China Focus: Herdsmen guarding China's "water tower”


XINING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Lekga, 55-year-old herdsman in northwest China's Qinghai Province, has a new job in the Sanjiangyuan National Park in the province -- guarding the environment. The national park, also known as the Three-River-Source National Park, is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, which is praised as the "water tower" of China. It started trial operation in 2016 and is set to open in 2020. Along with other over 17,000 herdsmen, he has been trained and licensed by the local government as an ecological conservator in the national park that is in charge of rescuing wildlife, preventing fires, cleaning up the garbage, and other af fairs related to environmental protection.


"Local herdsmen are familiar with the terrains and the wildlife in the national park and have a strong awareness of environmental protection, who can play a more important role in the environmental protection than others," said Liu Xinnong, a staff with the Beijing-based Shanshui natural protection center. The herdsmen uploaded the pictures of snow leopards and brown bears that they saw to the social platforms to raise the public awareness of the wildlife protection. The national park used to be troubled by garbage, grassland degradation, and other environmental issues. The country has invested more than 18 billion yuan (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) in environmental protection and ecological restoration in the Sanjiangyuan area from 2005 to 2018. "I rescued a snow leopard with some villagers and released it into the wild in 2016," said Lekga. "I want to do my best to protect wildlife in the national park." The ecological conservators, including Lekga, receive a salary of 1,800 yuan every month. The prov inc ia l government has pa id compensations worth of 30.5 million yuan to local people whose livestock were killed by wild animals. "The local government has included content about environmental protection into the textbooks in primary and middle schools to raise the awareness of environmental protection among the students," said Mu Yonghong, an official with the management committee of the national park. The province has formulated 14 regulations at the provincial level in the field of ecological environment, providing a legal foundation for the protection of the national park. An artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring platform, aiming to protect wildlife, has been jointly established, local authorities said Tuesday.

Tibet combats severe drought using artificial rain


LHASA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Tuesday began to use artificial means to boost

precipitation as severe drought lingers for a month, local meteorological bureau said. Since June, many areas in Tibet have seen a record high temperature and the drought has hampered crop yield and livestock husbandry, the bureau said in a statement. Meteorological data showed the average rainfall in Tibet last month was 30.5 mm, 57 percent down over the previous years. Rainfall is expected to hit Tibet on Wednesday and Thursday, and cloud seeding was used to intensify the rain, with 31 rain-inducing rockets shot into the clouds. Experts predict that the major agricultural regions along the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet will see significant rainfall in the following days, which will relieve the drought.

New buoy system adopted to monitor lake environment in

Qinghai-Tibet PlateauXinhua, July 2, 2019

BEIJ ING, Ju ly 2 (X inhua) - - Chinese researchers have set up a large-scale buoy system to monitor the lake environment in Nam Co, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to its developer Tuesday. Lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are mostly distributed in sparsely populated areas with high altitudes and harsh climates, making it hard to obtain long-term observation data. Researchers from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a large-scale buoy monitoring platform to keep a close look on the lake. The buoy platform is made of anti-corrosion materials and is equipped with an integrated data collector and wireless signal controller. It carries a range of monitoring equipment including a multiparameter water quality detector and an acoustic doppler current profiler. The system can continuously monitor the temperature, pH levels and chlorophyll content of the water, as well as the lake surface temperature, air humidity and wind speed. It can automatically transfer the acquired data to the Beijing data center through the 4G signal communication module.


The system offers informatization measures for lake monitoring, helping researchers get a better understanding of the physical and chemical conditions of the lakes in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, accord

2019 july tibet digest final - fnvafnvaworld.org/.../2019/09/2019-july-tibet-digest-final.pdf ·...

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