Posted 12/10/2023, 10:43:22 AM
China Pushes 'Xizang' Name for Tibet, Seen as Effort to Assert Control and Reshape Perceptions
- China increasingly referring to Tibet as 'Xizang' in state media and documents like recent white paper, in effort to assert control and sovereignty
- Name change seen as way to strengthen national identity in ethnic minority regions under policy to promote "standard" Chinese language
- Tibetan government-in-exile president accuses China of "exterminating" Tibetan identity and denying basic rights
- Follows calls from Chinese scholars to officially use 'Xizang' in English to reshape perception of Tibet
- Part of broader policy push by Beijing to exercise "discourse power" over how Tibet is discussed internationally