Chinese Invasion of Tibet

Chinese Invasion of Tibet

Tibet has existed as a region of separate sovereign areas, a single independent entity and as a vassal under Chinese suzerainty or sovereignty. During some of this period, the Tibetan administration was subordinate to the Chinese empire of the Qing Dynasty. In 1913 the 13th Dalai Lama expelled Qing's representatives and troops from what is now the Tibet Autonomous Region. While the expulsion was seen as an assertion of Tibetan autonomy, Tibet's proclaimed independence was not accepted by the government of China. Mao Zedong, the Commander of the Liberation Army and the Chairman of the Communist Party of China viewed Tibet as an integral part of the Chinese State and launched an invasion in 1950.

The People’s Liberation Army defeated the Tibetan army at Chamdo on October 7, 1950. This marked the beginning of the campaign to integrate Tibet into China. The Communist party of China gained control of the region of Kham to the West of the Upper Yangtze River. The 14th Dalai Lama signed the Seventeen Point Agreement, affirming Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. In April 1954, India and the PRC signed an eight-year agreement on Tibet that set forth the basis of their relationship in the form of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.

Following the Tibetan uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama, together with a group of Tibetan leaders fled to India and set up the Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamshala. Beijing and the Government-in-exile disagree when Tibet became a part of China, and whether the incorporation into China of Tibet is legitimate according to international law. Disagreement and skirmishes over the disputed territory increased, particularly over the Aksai Chin area increased, ultimately leading to the Sino- Indian war in 1962.