Cable from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, 'Report on Negotiations regarding the Tibet issue between China and India'

24 November 1950

Report: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

To: Ambassadors of Various Countries

Re: Report on Negotiations regarding the Tibet Issue between China and India

The following is a report on the negotiations between China and India regarding the Tibet issue:

The Chinese government has negotiated with the Indian government on the Tibet issue for three months. Generally, it discloses the Indian government’s intention to interfere with our internal affairs, prevent our liberation of Tibet, and maintain Indian and capitalist privileges in Tibet. The attitudes of the Indian government may be illustrated through the following four stages:

Stage 1: from 12 August to 21 August [1950], India pretended to have no ambition over Tibetan policies or territories but intended to maintain its privileges awarded by the covenant dated 1906. The Ministry [of Foreign Affairs] declares to them as follows: Tibet is an inalienable part of China and must be liberated, preferably in a peaceful manner. We have urged the Tibetan delegation to come to Beijing to discuss the methods of peaceful liberation as soon as possible.

Stage 2: from 26 August to 31 August, India continued to emphasize India’s interest in the Tibet issue, the border issue, and the Tibetan autonomy issue with an aim to prevent our liberation of Tibet under the disguise of the peaceful settlement of the Tibet issue. The Ministry declared to the Indian government again that we wished to settle the Tibet issue in a peaceful manner and that we hoped the Indian government could offer travel conveniences to the Tibetan delegation so that the negotiations could be started in Beijing on 20 September. We also told the Indian government that we would take actions in the west of Xikang Province as scheduled soon.

Stage 3: from 1 September to 20 October, the Chinese Embassy in India discussed with the Tibetan delegation in China about its visit to Beijing. We introduced our ethnic policies in our Common Program [of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference], helped to settle their difficulties in the journey to Beijing, and urged them to come to Beijing as soon as possible. We also pointed out that they needed to be responsible for all consequences arising from their failure to come to Beijing before 20 September. However, the Tibetan delegation failed to come to Beijing before the deadline due to the abetments of India and Britain and instructions from Lhasa.

Stage 4: from 21 October to 16 November, India publicly expressed its intention to interfere with our internal affairs with an aim to prevent our liberation of Tibet. It also intended to maintain its governmental delegation, commercial organs, post and telecommunication facilities, and troops stationed in Tibet. The Ministry pointed out as follows: Tibet is an inalienable part of China and the People’s Liberation Army must enter and liberate Tibet and safeguard the frontier of China. The Tibet issue is a domestic issue of China and no foreign interference is allowed. The diplomatic, commercial, and cultural relations between China and India in Tibet can be settled to mutual benefit through diplomatic approaches.