Chinese military band (Wikimedia Commons)
(TIBET) – Wang Yang, one of the seven Politburo standing committee members of the Chinese Communist Party and chairperson of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, visited Tibetan areas incorporated in Kansu (Gansu) province from May 25-28, 2022. This was his second visit to Kanlho (Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and his 10th visit overall to the Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan areas outside the TAR since his appointment as the conference Chairperson in March 2018. As the Politburo Standing Committee member in charge of the United Front and Chairman of the conference, Wang Yang’s visit is important as he directs China’s Central Committee Tibet Work Coordination Group.
Chinese state media discourse on his two visits to Kanlho has undergone shifts in terms of framing the Tibet issue and freedom activism when the 2018 and 2022 visits are compared. State media carrying messages by Wang Yang to “combat” (choice of word for foreign audience) or “struggle” (choice of word for domestic audience) against “separatist activities” is a staple in Chinese state media discourse. But unlike the visit in 2018, the “combat” or “struggle,” depending on the audience, is framed in terms of national security during his recent visit instead of development and stability, as in the past. This is consistent in terms of messaging for both the domestic and foreign audiences. For instance, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported in English that “Wang underscored greater efforts to combat separatist activities and rely closely on people of all ethnic groups to forge an ironclad shield for national security” during his May 2022 visit. In comparison, during his May 2018 visit, Xinhua Chinese reported that he instructed to “carry out in-depth anti-separatist struggle … to achieve sustainable and healthy economic and social development and long-term stability in Tibetan areas.”
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