Xi’s Tibet Visit: Propaganda Over Reality
In the volatile geopolitical landscape of 2025, China’s actions reveal a calculated strategy of duplicity, as it balances charm offensives with aggressive expansionism. While Beijing extends olive branches to India, seeking stability amid strained relations with a Trump-led United States, it simultaneously undermines Indian sovereignty through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and tightens its iron grip on Tibet. This dual-track approach—projecting cooperation while pursuing dominance—underscores why China cannot be trusted. As global powers grapple with a disrupted world order, shaped by Donald Trump’s short-term, "America First" policies, China’s maneuvers expose its expansionist mindset, with Tibet remaining a tragic casualty of its ambitions. Will Tibet ever break free, or is it destined to remain a tool in the chessboard of global diplomacy?
China’s Strategic Games: India, Pakistan, and the U.S. Factor
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to India was filled with rhetoric about cooperation, border stability, and “mutual trust.” Yet, these overtures coincided with China’s continued expansion of CPEC, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project that runs through PoK, a region India claims as its own. India has consistently opposed CPEC, viewing it as a violation of its sovereignty, yet Beijing presses forward, deepening economic and military ties with Pakistan. This contradiction lays bare China’s hypocrisy: seeking short-term engagement with New Delhi while entrenching its strategic foothold in South Asia.
Analysts see Beijing’s outreach to India as a pragmatic move driven by necessity. The Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies, including steep tariffs and sanctions, have strained U.S.-China relations to a breaking point. With tensions escalating in the Indo-Pacific and the U.S. forging stronger ties with India and other Quad members (Japan, Australia), China risks regional isolation. By projecting dialogue with India, Beijing aims to ease international pressure, portray itself as a stabilizing force, and buy time to counterbalance U.S. influence. However, its actions—expanding CPEC and cozying up to Pakistan and Afghanistan—reveal a relentless pursuit of strategic dominance, undermining any claims of goodwill.
Globally, Trump’s focus on short-term economic and political wins has shaken alliances, leaving nations like India navigating a precarious path. New Delhi, wary of U.S. unpredictability, may see limited engagement with China as a hedge, but Beijing’s track record suggests its promises are hollow. From predatory lending through CPEC, which has saddled Pakistan with unsustainable debt, to securing energy routes bypassing the Malacca Strait, China’s moves prioritize its own interests over regional stability.
Xi’s Tibet Visit: Propaganda Over Reality
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2025 visit to Tibet was no routine inspection but a calculated display of dominance. State media painted a rosy picture of a prosperous Tibet, complete with orchestrated celebrations and handpicked crowds. Yet, beneath this propaganda lies a grim reality: Tibet remains under occupation, its people stripped of fundamental rights, their language suppressed, and their cultural identity systematically erased. Monasteries are under constant surveillance, schools are forced to adopt Mandarin, and mega-projects like the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and the Brahmaputra dam threaten Tibet’s fragile ecosystem for Beijing’s strategic gain.
Xi’s visit was designed to send a clear message to the world: “Tibet is ours.” The carefully curated narrative of development masks decades of neglect and repression. International observers, including human rights groups, describe Tibet as a region where propaganda replaces truth, and dissent is crushed under the guise of progress. The Tibetan people’s aspirations for autonomy or freedom are silenced, with global powers often turning a blind eye to prioritize economic or strategic ties with China.
The Bigger Picture: A Pattern of Deception
China’s actions fit a broader pattern of duplicity:
Globally, China’s maneuvers extend beyond South Asia. In Southeast Asia, it strengthens economic ties with ASEAN nations to counter U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific. In Central Asia, it balances relations with Russia while expanding Belt and Road projects. In the Gulf, it secures energy deals to diversify its supply chains. Yet, these moves come with strings attached—opaque agreements, debt traps, and strategic leverage that prioritize Beijing’s long-term dominance.
The Global Shake-Up: Trump’s Role
Donald Trump’s return to power has upended global geopolitics, prioritizing short-term U.S. interests over cohesive alliances. His administration’s focus on tariffs, trade wars, and withdrawing from multilateral frameworks has left allies scrambling and adversaries like China adapting. For Beijing, this creates both challenges and opportunities. While U.S. pressure isolates China economically, it also allows Beijing to exploit gaps in global leadership, positioning itself as a counterweight to American unilateralism. India, caught between an unpredictable U.S. and an untrustworthy China, must tread carefully, balancing strategic autonomy with regional security.
Tibet’s Plight: Freedom or Diplomatic Pawn?
Tibet remains the starkest symbol of China’s repression and the world’s selective outrage. The systematic erasure of its culture, language, and identity continues unabated, with Xi’s visit reinforcing Beijing’s unyielding control. The international community’s response—muted by economic dependencies and geopolitical calculations—raises a critical question: will Tibet ever be free, or is it doomed to remain a tool for global diplomacy?
The prospects for Tibetan freedom are bleak. Major powers, including India, prioritize strategic interests over championing Tibet’s cause. The U.S., despite occasional rhetoric, is unlikely to prioritize Tibet amid its domestic and economic focus under Trump. Smaller nations lack the leverage to challenge China’s might. Meanwhile, Beijing’s propaganda machine and economic clout ensure that Tibet’s struggle is overshadowed by global power plays.
Conclusion: A Call for Vigilance
China’s actions—engaging India while undermining its sovereignty, expanding influence through CPEC, and suppressing Tibet—reveal a consistent pattern of deception and expansionism. For India and the global community, Beijing’s words and promises must be met with skepticism. The world cannot afford to take China at face value, as its actions betray its true intent: to dominate, not cooperate.Tibet’s fate hangs in the balance, a poignant reminder of the human cost of geopolitical games. Without sustained international pressure and a unified commitment to human rights, Tibet risks remaining a pawn, its people’s dreams of freedom buried under China’s iron fist. The global community must decide: will it confront China’s duplicity, or allow Tibet to fade into the shadows of diplomacy?