International Campaign for Tibet: News and Information: Position and Briefing Papers: Chronology of Sino-Tibetan Relations, 1979 to 2005

Chronology of Sino-Tibetan Relations, 1979 to 2005

1979

1979 - Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping invites Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of the Dalai Lama, to Beijing and conveys the message that other than the issue of independence all other issues relating to Tibet can be discussed and resolved.
August 5, 1979 - First fact-finding delegation of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, led by Kalon Juchen Thubten Namgyal, begins tour of Tibet.

1980

May 1,1980 - Second fact-finding delegation from the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, led by Representative Tenzin N. Tethong, begins tour of Tibet.
July 1, 1980 - Third fact-finding delegation from the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, led by Mrs. Jetsun Pema, younger sister of the Dalai Lama, begins tour of Tibet.

1981

March 13, 1981 - The Dalai Lama states in a letter to Deng Xiaoping that the three fact-finding missions found "sad conditions" in Tibet and therefore "genuine efforts must be made to solve the problem in accordance with the existing realities in a reasonable way."
July, 1981 - CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang announces "China's Five-point Policy toward the Dalai Lama". Asking "the Dalai Lama and his followers to come back", it says: "The Dalai Lama will enjoy the same political status and living conditions as he had before 1959. It is suggested that he not go to live in Tibet or hold local posts there. Of course, he may go back to Tibet from time to time. His followers need not worry about their jobs and living conditions. These will only be better than before."

1982

April 24, 1982 - A high level Tibetan delegation arrives in Beijing to hold exploratory talks with Chinese officials. The delegation, composed of P.T. Taklha, Juchen Thubten Namgyal and Lodi Gyari, made no substantive headway.

1984

October 19, 1984 - The three-member exploratory delegation holds a second round of talks with Chinese leaders. Again, no progress toward substantive negotiations are made.

1985

Fourth fact-finding delegation from the exile Tibetan government tours Tibet, led by Kasur W.D. Kundeling.
July 24, 1985 - 91 Members of the U.S. Congress sign a letter, urging Chinese President Li Xianian to initiate talks between China and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

1987

September 21, 1987 - The Dalai Lama presents a Five-Point Peace Plan on solving the Tibetan problem to the U.S. Congress. The plan includes a call for commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet.
December 22, 1987 - The United States Foreign Relations Authorization Act declares that the U.S. "should urge the Government of China to actively reciprocate the Dalai Lama's efforts to establish a constructive dialogue on the future of Tibet."

1988

June 15, 1988 - The Dalai Lama presents his Strasbourg Proposal as a framework for a negotiated solution to the Tibetan problem, at the European Parliament. He also mentioned that a negotiating team is ready to meet with the Chinese side on the basis of Deng Xiaoping's statements.
September 21, 1988 - China responds indirectly to the Strasbourg proposal with an offer to talk. In a press statement, the Chinese side said: "We welcome the Dalai Lama to have talks with the central government at any time, and talks may be held in Beijing, Hong Kong or any of our embassies or consulates abroad. If the Dalai Lama finds it inconvenient to conduct talks at these places. He may choose any place he wishes." The offer makes the talks conditional on the Dalai Lama "drop[ping] the idea of an independent Tibet."
September 23, l988 - Tibetan representatives convey the following response to the Sept. 21 Chinese message: "We welcome China's positive response to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's call for talks on the Tibetan issue. We similarly welcome their leaving the choice of the venue for the talks to us. We would like the talks to be held in Geneva, Switzerland which is most convenient and neutral venue. We would also like the first round of talks to be held in January 1989".

1989

January, 1989 - China backs out of the proposed talks.
April 20,1989 - the Tibetan Government-in-Exile announces that "His Holiness the Dalai Lama is prepared to send representatives to Hong Kong at any time" to meet with Chinese representative in order to resolve any procedural issue with regard to starting negotiations.
March 15, 1989 - U.S. Senate Resolution 82 calls upon the Chinese government to "meet with representatives of the Dalai Lama to begin initiating constructive dialogue on the future of Tibet."

1991

October 9, 1991 - In an address at Yale University, the Dalai Lama expresses his desire to visit Tibet as early as possible to personally ascertain the situation and help the Chinese leadership to understand the true feelings of Tibetans.
October 10, 1991 - The Chinese Foreign Ministry imposes the following conditions before he can return to Tibet: "The most important thing is that the Dalai Lama stop his activities aimed at splitting China and undermining the unity of its nationalities, and abandon his position on Tibetan independence."

1992

June 22, 1992 - Ding Guangen, head of the United Front Department of the CCP Central Committee, meets Gyalo Thondup and reiterates the 1979 statement that they are willing to discuss any issue with the Tibetans except total independence.

1993

May 28, 1993 - The White House report to Congress on the extension of the Most Favored Nation status (MFN) to China lists "[s]eeking to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives" as favourable step China should take to ensure MFN renewal.
June, 1993 - Dharamsala sends a two-member delegation to China to clear the misunderstandings raised by the Chinese leaders during their meeting with Thondup. The delegation carries a 13-point memorandum from the Dalai Lama, addressed to Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. In the memorandum, the Dalai Lama chronicles his efforts to resolve the problem of Tibet through peaceful negotiations and says, "If we Tibetans obtain our basic rights to our satisfaction, then we are not incapable of seeing the possible advantages of living with the Chinese." In the same year, China severs all formal channels of communication with Dharamsala. However, informal and semi-official channels continue to remain open.

1994

April 28, 1994 - The Dalai Lama meets with President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore in the White House. The White House states that President Clinton met the Dalai Lama "to inquire about efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Chinese leadership" among other topics. It also says: "The United States continues to urge high level talks between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama."

1995

November, 1995 - China tries to usurp the right to choose the next incarnation of the important Tibetan religious figure, the Panchen Lama. Relations between Beijing and Dharamsala deteriorates.

1997

July, 1997 - The Clinton Administration announces its intention to establish a new position in the Department of State, Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, to handle the Tibetan issue. A central objective of the position is to promote dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government to resolve the issue of Tibet.
October, 1997 - During the US-China Summit in Washington, D.C., President Clinton presses Chinese President Jiang Zemin to initiate talks with the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan problem emerges as one of the top issues that the American people identify with Sino-U.S. relations.
October 31, 1997 - Mr. Greg Craig is appointed the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issue at the US Department of State.

1998

April 30, 1998 - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright makes it clear to President Jiang Zemin that Tibet is a high priority of the U.S. government for the June Summit in Beijing. "What we urge is a dialogue with the Dalai Lama," Albright told a news conference after her meeting.
June 27, 1998 - US President Bill Clinton urges Jiang Zemin to meet the Dalai Lama and open talks with him, during a press conference in Beijing. Televised live throughout China, Jiang Zemin admits to the existence of unofficial channels of communication and says "door to negotiation is open"

2001

January 28, 2001 - The Dalai Lama tells AFP that his latest efforts to send a delegation to China to pursue a substantial dialogue with Chinese leaders had produced no response from Beijing.

The Dalai Lama's elder brother had traveled to Beijing in late October --reopening contact after a two-year freeze -- after which the Dalai Lama proposed sending a full delegation to the Chinese capital. He said the Chinese welcomed his brother to come again, but the Dalai Lama added, "If my brother goes again, some people might get the wrong impression.

"This is an issue for the whole Tibetan community, so sending some people from a Tibetan organization would be more appropriate."

2002

September 9 -24, 2002 - Following a nine-year impasse, contact between Beijing and the Tibetan-government-in-exile resumes when the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy, Lodi Gyari, leads a delegation of four to Beijing and Lhasa. The trip is intended to create an atmosphere conducive for substantive negotiations. The team includes Kelsang Gyaltsen, Envoy of the Dalai Lama and two senior assistants, Sonam N. Dagpo and Bhuchung K. Tsering.
September 30, 2002 - President Bush signs into law a foreign policy bill that includes the Tibetan Policy Act. The Tibetan Policy Act expresses both programmatic and political support for the Tibetan people, including that the President and Secretary of State should initiate steps to encourage the Government of the People's Republic of China to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet; and after such an agreement is reached, the President and Secretary of State should work to ensure compliance with the agreement.

2003

May 25 - June 8, 2003 - A second round of talks is held between envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership during the Tibetan team's trip to Beijing and parts of Tibet. The Tibetans characterize the nature of these trips as "confidence building measures".

2004

September 12-29, 2004 - A third round of talks is held between envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership during the Tibetan team's trip to Beijing and parts of Tibet The international community views these visits as positive steps forward, but few governments make legitimate efforts to bring both parties to the negotiation table.
May 23, 2004 - The Chinese government issues a 30-page White Paper on Tibet aimed at dampening expectations by Tibetans for genuine autonomy. The White Paper is seen as a negotiating tactic that underscores the resistance of hardliners to move forward in good faith.

2005

June 30, July 1, 2005 - A fourth round of meetings between the Tibetan team and the Chinese leadership is held in Bern, Switzerland. The Tibetans say that the trip is designed to "move the ongoing process to a new level of engagement aimed at bringing about substantive negotiations to achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan issue". Meanwhile, China continues publicly criticize the Dalai Lama and reiterates its long-standing preconditions to negotiations.
July 10, 2005 - During a visit to China, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asks Chinese leaders to "reach out to the Dalai Lama", saying that the exiled Tibetan leader is no threat to China.
October 11, 2005 - In its annual report for 2005, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China said, "The future of Tibetans and their religion, language, and culture depends on fair and equitable decisions about future policies that can only be achieved through dialogue. The Dalai Lama is essential to this dialogue. To help the parties build on visits and dialogue held in 2003, 2004, and 2005, the President and the Congress should urge the Chinese government to move the current dialogue toward deeper, substantive discussions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives, and encourage direct contact between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership."

2006

February 15, 2006 - Envoys of the Dalai Lama visit China from February 15 to 23, 2006 and took part in the fifth round of talks with their Chinese counterparts in Guilin, Guangxi Province of China. In a press statement following the visit, Special Envoy Lodi Gyari said, "This round of discussion also made it clear that there is a major difference even in the approach in addressing the issue. However, we remain committed to the dialogue process and are hopeful that progress will be possible by continuing the engagement."
March 10, 2006 - In his official statement on 10 March 2006, His Holiness the Dalai Lama made public the fact that his envoys have informed the Chinese Government of his desire to go on a pilgrimage to China. In the statement, the Dalai Lama said, "my envoys reiterated my wish to visit China on a pilgrimage. As a country with a long history of Buddhism, China has many sacred pilgrim sites. As well as visiting the pilgrim sites, I hope to be able to see for myself the changes and developments in the People?s Republic of China."

The Dalai Lama also said, "...in the fifth round of talks held a few weeks ago, the two sides were able to clearly identify the areas of major differences and the reasons thereof. They were also able to get a sense of the conditions necessary for resolving the differences."
April 3, 2006 - The Kashag of the Central Tibetan Administration issued the third appeal to the Tibetan people and Tibet supporters to restrain from actions that create personal embarrasment to Chinese leaders. The statement said, "President Hu Jintao will soon pay an official visit to America this month and the Kashag would like to once again strongly appeal with utmost importance and emphasis to all the Tibetans and Tibet Support Groups to refrain from any activities, including staging of protest demonstrations causing embarrassment to him. This appeal is not only to create a conducive atmosphere for negotiations but also not to cause embarrassment and difficulty to His Holiness the Dalai Lama whose visit coincides with President Hu Jintao's visit to America."
April 3rd, 2006 - The official China Daily reported that a senior Chinese official on religious affairs, Ye Xiaowen (director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs), said that China could discuss a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to China and that the visit was not impossible for consideration. Ye made the statement on the sidelines of a seminar held in Beijing.

China Daily, however, reported Ye as saying this is conditional to the Dalai Lama completely dropping "his pursuit of Tibetan "independence."
April 14, 2006 - The United States Congress receives the State Department's mandatory annual Report on Tibet Negotiations. The report details the initiatives taken by Administration officials, from President Bush to the Secretary of State and others officials, to encourage substantive negotiations between envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership.
May 11, 2006 - Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) introduced the 14th Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act, as part of a campaign to award the Dalai Lama, Tibet's leader in exile, the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the U.S. government's highest honors. This Act is to award a congressional gold medal to the Dalai Lama of Tibet in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding.
May 25, 2006 - The United States Senate passed the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act (S 2784) without amendment by unanimous consent.
August 15, 2006 - Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, who was re-elected to a second term as the Chairman of the Cabinet of the Central Tibetan Administration, said that he will make more efforts towards dialogue with the Chinese leadership based on the Dalai Lama's Middle Way Approach.

In a statement following the taking of oath of office for his new term before the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Rinpoche said, "It is clear to me that the recent electoral mandate is not for an individual but is a show of support for me and my administration's steadfast commitment to the mutually beneficial Middle-Way policy and the programmes initiated by us during the past five years. Consequently, I am more determined and will courageously pursue these policies and programmes."
September 13, 2006 - The US House of Representatives passed a bill to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill enjoyed broad bipartisan support, with 387 cosponsors drawn from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate, representing more than two-thirds of Congress. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA) were the principal sponsors of this resolution.
November 13, 2006 - A senior administration official said that President George Bush will meet President Hu Jintao during the APEC summit in Vietnam this week during which he will stress the importance of "a strong dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama to move toward some resolution of a very longstanding issue."

Giving a background briefing at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C. on President Bush's trips to Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia, the Senior Administration Official responded to a question on issues that will come up during his meeting with President Hu Jintao, saying, "I'm sure the issue, as it has before, the Dalai Lama will come up between the two leaders because of the importance that we have placed on believing that a dialogue needs to be a strong dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama to move toward some resolution of a very longstanding issue."
November 14, 2006 - Special Envoy Lodi Gyari gives a major briefing on the current status of discussions with the Chinese Government at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He said, "Some detractors in the Chinese Government seem to believe that the aspirations of the Tibetan people will fizzle out once the Dalai Lama passes away. This is a most dangerous and myopic approach. Certainly, the absence of the Dalai Lama would be devastating for the Tibetan people. But more importantly his absence would mean that China would be left to handle the problem without the presence of a leader who enjoys the loyalty of the entire community and who remains firmly committed to non-violence.

It is certain that the Tibetan position would become more intractable in his absence, and that having had their beloved leader pass away in exile would create deep and irreparable wounds in the hearts of the Tibetan people." He further added, "The Dalai Lama's world view, his special bond with the Tibetan people and the respect he enjoys in the international community all make the person of the Dalai Lama key both to achieving a negotiated solution to the Tibetan issue and to peacefully implementing any agreement that is reached. This is why we have consistently conveyed to our Chinese counterparts that far from being the problem, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the solution."

2007

February 6, 2007 - Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet (Kalon Tripa), paid a courtesy call on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Tom Lantos.
February 15, 2007 - The Canadian Parliament, meeting in the Capitol city of Ottawa, adopted a motion by unanimous consent that "urges the Government of the People's Republic of China and the representatives of Tibet's government in exile, notwithstanding their differences on Tibet's historical relationship with China, to continue their dialogue in a forward-looking manner that will lead to pragmatic solutions that respect the Chinese constitutional framework, the territorial integrity of China and fulfill the aspirations of the Tibetan people for a unified and genuinely autonomous Tibet."

The motion was introduced by Ms. Peggy Nash, a Member of Parliament from Toronto where most Tibetans in Canada reside. The draft resolution has been championed by Senator Consiglio Di Nino, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, as an initiative that parliamentarians around the world could take up in their own legislatures.
February 15, 2007 - The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, France, adopted a resolution on the dialogue between the Chinese Government and Envoys of the Dalai Lama. The comprehensive resolution includes recommendations to the European Union on a more vigorous approach in support of the dialogue and, specifically, "urges the government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama to continue and resume, notwithstanding their differences on certain substantive issues, the dialogue without preconditions and in a forward-looking manner that allows for pragmatic solutions that respects the territorial integrity of China and fulfils the aspirations of the Tibetan people."
March 10, 2007 - The Dalai Lama in his statement on the anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising, said, "Since the resumption of direct contacts between the Tibetans and Chinese in 2002, my representatives have conducted five rounds of comprehensive discussion with concerned officials of the People?s Republic of China. In these discussions, both sides were able to express in clear terms the suspicions, doubts and real difficulties that exist between the two sides. These rounds of discussion have thus helped in creating a channel of communication between the two sides. The Tibetan delegation stands ready to continue the dialogue anytime, anywhere. The Kashag will provide the details in its statement."
March 10, 2007 - United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that 'A negotiated agreement' between Tibetan envoys and Chinese authorities 'would ensure internal stability in Tibet and bolster China's reputation in the world.'

In a statement released on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day on March 10, 2007, Pelosi said that 'The lack of progress on freedom and human rights in Tibet is an international concern.? Saying that the Chinese government is stalling in the negotiations, Pelosi said it is critical for these discussions to resume as soon as possible.'
March 13, 2007 - The House International Affairs Committee of the United States Congress holds a hearing on "Tibet: Status of the Sino-Tibetan Dialogue." Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky, who is the US Special Coordinator on Tibetan Issues; Special Envoy Lodi Gyari; and ICT Chairman Richard Gere, testify at the hearing.

Gyari testified that the dialogue process with the Chinese leadership has reached a stage where "if there is the political will on both sides, we have an opportunity to finally resolve this issue."

In his statement, Congressman Tom Lantos, Chairman of the Committee, said, "Beijing must understand that the stalemate in the Tibetan talks is not in China's own interests. With each day that the Chinese government refuses to enter into serious dialogue over the issue of Tibet and fails to take tangible steps to provide true autonomy to the Tibetan people within the borders of the People's Republic of China, the stain on the moral authority of China grows broader and deeper."

He added, "China must meet the good faith efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his envoys with good faith of its own. China states that it is a country dedica-ted to peace as it develops and strengthens. Proof of its "peaceful rise" must first come from within its own borders."
March 16, 2007 - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing that the "The door (of dialogue) is always open" referring to the talks with the Dalai Lama. Wen made the remarks at a press conference held following the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.

April 25, 2007 - The Congressional Human Rights Caucus, headed by Representative Tom Lantos and Representative Frank Wolf, held a briefing "On the Panchen Lama's 18th Birthday: A Look at Religion in Tibet Today."

Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Commissioner Felice Gaer of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, T.
Kumar of Amnesty International, Mickey Spiegel, Human Rights Watch, and Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet testified at the briefing.
April 26, 2007 - The European Parliament adopted its Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2006 in which it "calls on the Council and the Commission to raise the issue of Tibet and to actively support the strengthening of the dialogue between the Chinese Government and envoys of the Dalai Lama".
April 27, 2007 - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi goes to San Francisco to meet with the Dalai Lama who is on a visit there. This is Pelosi's first meeting with the Dalai Lama after becoming the Speaker. Pelosi took the opportunity to express her continued support for the current dialogue on Tibet's future between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Beijing, during a frank and warm conversation.
May 10, 2007 - Special Envoy gives a briefing on the status of the negotiations with the Chinese leadership at the French Think Tank, Asia Centre, in Paris. Talking about the five rounds of talks held so far, he says, "These have gone a long way towards establishing a climate of openness that is essential to reaching mutually agreeable decisions regarding the future of the Tibetan and Chinese people. It is our belif that these discussions should continue so that we can finally resolve the problem to our mutual satisfaction. Towards this end, we have been taking several initiatives to create a congenial atmosphere for the talks."

Source: This has been compiled from "Dharamsala and Beijing; Countdown to Negotiation," in Tibetan Bulletin, October-December 1998 and other sources.