Tibet’s New Chief

Contact is taking a holiday!

Contact is taking a break after 25 years of bringing you news of Tibet and Tibetan issues. We are celebrating our 25 years by bringing you the story of Contact and the people who have made it happen, and our archive is still there for you to access at any time, and below you can read the story of Contact, how it came into being and the wonderful reflections of the people who have made it happen over the years.

When and how Contact will re-emerge and evolve will be determined by those who become involved.

By Tsering Wangdue / August 31, 2016;

Wu Yingjie, the newly appointed Party
Chief of TAR

The Communist Party of China (CPC) appointed Wu Yingjie as the new Chief of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) on August 28 at the annual Beidaihe meeting or Chinese “summer summit”.

Wu Yingjie, 59, is the longest serving Chinese officer in Tibet, having spent almost his entire career there spanning more than 40 years. His roles have included deputy governor and propaganda chief.Wu, like his predecessor Chen Quanguo, belongs to China’s majority Han Chinese ethnic group.Chen Quanguo, 61, is to become Party Secretary of the Xinjang Autonomous Region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is said to have “played safe” by appointing Wu to run Tibet as he is not controversial figure and has the benefit of hislong experience of working there.

The appointment of Wu Yingjie as the Chief of TAR means that two ethnic Tibetan leaders, Pema Choeling, Chairman of Regional Congress and Lobsang Gyaltsen, the head of Tibetan Autonomous Region’s government, have been overlooked.This is apparently in line with the CPC’s policy of not appointing a Tibetan to senior positions in the CPC.

The Beidaihe meeting gathers China’s leaders and elders from earlier generations to meet in an informal setting for closed-door discussions that will set the tone for major domestic issues. It was initiated by Chairman Mao Zedung. This year’s meeting has seen President Xi reshuffle three top provincial-level Communist Party posts as well as discuss tactics for the G20 meeting next month in Hangzhou, China.