a government-in-exile<\/a><\/span> unrecognized by Beijing, has become one of the most contentious issues surrounding Tibet. The Dalai Lama has said his successor could be born outside China and that only his office has the authority to recognize his reincarnation.<\/p>\nBeijing says the selection must comply with Chinese law and receive government approval. China has long accused the Dalai Lama of promoting separatism. <\/p>\n
The Potala Palace, one of Tibet\u2019s most revered sites and once the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, also had no public reference to the current leader. Thousands visit daily \u2014 tourists from across China and local Buddhist believers who pray and leave offerings, including money. <\/p>\n
Today, the Chinese national flag flies there. <\/p>\n
China\u2019s unity law \u2018codifies\u2019 policy that\u2019s already playing out, an expert says<\/h2>\n
Benno Weiner, a professor and historian on modern China and Tibet at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, said many effects of the policy shift have already been visible for years \u2014 particularly stripped-away education and language rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think the law itself changes things,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it sort of codifies and sort of summarizes a trend that\u2019s been going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beijing says the policies improve educational opportunities and ensure equal access for ethnic minorities. <\/p>\n
The same week as AP\u2019s government-organized trip, China\u2019s No. 4-ranked Communist Party leader, Wang Huning, toured Tibet, where he said the priority in governing the region was maintaining stability. He called for the implementation of the unity law and urged authorities to \u201cguide Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to socialist society,\u201d according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.<\/p>\n
On its trip, AP visited a traditional Tibetan medicine facility; artisan workshops and cultural centers with traditional crafts, including ceramic making and textile weaving; and a Tibetan opera performance, where workers and performers spoke about the importance of preserving local traditions. <\/p>\n
Weiner noted that the Chinese government\u2019s approach to cultural preservation often emphasizes elements seen as less politically sensitive and suitable for tourism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parts of culture that they want to protect and maybe even enhance are the sort of anodyne or nondangerous clothing, certain celebrations that are not religious in many cases,\u201d he said. \u201cThings that maybe not that coincidentally also attract tourists.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the Tibet Museum, an exhibit highlights Tibet\u2019s historical links with Chinese dynasties over centuries, a narrative Beijing uses to argue that Tibet has long been part of China. Many Tibetans in exile dispute that, arguing that Tibet was independent for much of its history.<\/p>\n
Laba Ciren, the Communist Party\u2019s official in charge of the museum, spoke to journalists about the new law. \u201cIt only brings benefits and does not have any negative effects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Billboards carry the law\u2019s message: Promote integration <\/h2>\n
Access to Tibet is tightly restricted for foreigners. But for those who do arrive, a first observation \u2014 after the thinner air, with Lhasa Gonggar International Airport at 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) elevation \u2014 might be the official welcome messages. <\/p>\n
Some signs are written in Chinese and Tibetan. But outside the terminal, a large sign, in Chinese, says simply: \u201cXizang welcomes you.\u201d<\/p>\n
From highways to city streets in Lhasa and Shannan, billboards promoting ethnic unity are a constant presence. In part, one reads, in Mandarin and then Tibetan: \u201cForge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Lhasa, Lhamo retired 22 years ago. With her children grown, she tries to make it to classes at the center every day \u2014 writing, grammar, poetry \u2014 in part because she wasn\u2019t able to attend school as a child.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mother tongue is the Tibetan language,\u201d she said proudly.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Elderly residents perform tai chi near the portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders at the Chengguan District Day Care Center for the Elderly in western China’s Tibet autonomous region on July 20, 2026, as seen during a government-organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo\/Ng Han Guan) 2026-08-05T01:04:28Z LHASA, Tibet (AP) \u2014… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}