From Tibet to Xizang: China's Media Shift Reflects Beijing's Assertive Approach

Chinese state-run media has increased its use of the term "Xizang" instead of "Tibet" in their English articles when referring to the autonomous region in western China. This change in language usage comes after the release of a white paper titled "CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements" by Beijing's cabinet, the State Council. Previously, Beijing had released white papers on Tibet that used "Tibet autonomous region" as the English translation for the region. The term "Xizang" is the pinyin, or Chinese romanisation, of the Mandarin script for "Tibet".

It is the official system used in China, Singapore, and other places. Chinese media is now using "Tibet" only in specific scenarios, such as translations of established geographical terms and names of institutions. Since the release of the white paper, Chinese state news agency Xinhua's English-language website has used "Xizang" in 128 articles, compared to just five mentions of "Tibet". This is a significant shift from the previous usage of "Tibet" in over 700 search results on Xinhua's English website.

Similar changes have also been observed in the English websites of People's Daily and China Daily, both Chinese state-run media outlets. Experts believe that this change reflects Beijing's attempts to assert its sovereignty over Tibet and exercise its discourse power. They also suggest that it aligns with Beijing's broader efforts to reinforce national identity in ethnic minority regions. However, they believe that the impact on the international community's perception of Tibet will be limited. The Tibetan government-in-exile has strongly criticized China's denial of fundamental human rights and the "extermination of the Tibetan identity".

They believe that Beijing's efforts to promote the Chinese language and culture in Tibet are causing suffering and oppression to the Tibetan people. Tibet has been under China's occupation for over 60 years, and China refuses to negotiate with Tibetan leaders. China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for Tibet, a claim denied by the spiritual leader. The change in language usage is not isolated to Tibet, as China has previously changed names of areas not under its control. In April, China issued a new map showing Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of its territory with new names. Tibet