Govt invites foreign journalists to visit Tibet

By Zhu Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-03-19 08:32

WASHINGTON: The Chinese government will invite more foreign media organizations to visit the Tibet autonomous region this year so that they can have a better and more objective understanding of the region, a visiting Tibetan official said yesterday.

"As far as I know, the government plans to invite more foreign media organizations to Tibet this year. I hope they can see more and tell more of a real Tibet," Ngawang, executive vice-commissioner of the Xigaze prefecture in Tibet and deputy head of a visiting delegation of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), said.

He made the remarks in response to a question from the AFP during a news briefing, which saw the attendance of more than 50 reporters from about 20 media organizations.

The delegation, with all of its five members being NPC deputies, also spoke about the social and economic development of Tibet, as well as the preservation of the local culture.

Shingtsa Tenzinchodrak (right), head of a delegation of Chinese lawmakers to the United States, presents a hada, or traditional Tibetan silk scarf, to US lawmaker John Conyers in Washington on Tuesday. [China Daily]

In response to a question about the so-called "culture extinction", head of the delegation Shingtsa Tenzinchodrak said today's Tibetan culture has maintained its traditional flavor as well as adopted characteristics of the times.

"From what I see, the Tibetan culture is developing instead of diminishing. If there's really something missing, I'm afraid it's the 'traditional culture' represented by the serf owners who took up only 5 percent of the population in old Tibet," he said.

Tenzinchodrak said the outside world doesn't really know the true picture of Tibet, and that's the reason for the delegation's visit abroad.

While meeting two members of the US congress yesterday afternoon, Tenzinchodrak made similar remarks and expressed hopes for further communication between lawmakers from the two countries.

He also said a bill passed by the US congress earlier this month on Tibet "hurt the feeling of the Tibetan people".

The US congress on March 11 approved a resolution, urging China to end "repression" in Tibet and lift the "harsh" policies imposed on Tibetans.

"I'm very sad at the bill. That conflicts with the real situation in Tibet," Tenzinchodrak said. "There should be more communication on this issue."

Rick Larsen, a member of the US congress, said the bill reflects the opinion of some US people. He said it's important to further increase the understanding between the two peoples.

Lanny Davis, a special counsel to the former Clinton administration and spokesperson for former president Bill Clinton, also said it's important to offer the Americans more information about Tibet.

"A complete lack of information has led the American people to (an) incorrect impression about what the facts are about Tibet," he said after attending yesterday's news briefing.

"They (The American people) have heard only one side of the arguments that are not accurate historically or incomplete," he said.

Davis suggested that the Chinese government bring over more Tibetans who can tell their own stories to the US.

"Only by airing information and talking about the facts are we able to change American public opinion, because they're so lacking of basic history," he said.

However, Davis said that it takes time to end bias. "It's time for the Chinese government to recognize it's an uphill climb and a long road. But it's a good beginning by what has been done today."