Tibet

The Tibetan struggle for independence has captured the attention of the world. The Olympic torch was greeted with pro-Tibet demonstrators on two continents. Chinese officials are more nervous and more likely to use forceful suppression. Director of the New America Global Governance Initiative, Parag Khanna, recently adapted a section of his new book, The Second World, to talk about Tibet as well as its lesser known counterpart, Xinjiang. He states that these autonomous regions are important to Chinese nationalism and contain natural resources of vital importance to China. Only when Beijing secures absolute control over the people and resources in these regions will the government relax political control.

First rule of empire: dominate