During China's 2026 national two sessions, the China Q&A program featured a dialogue between Australian sinologist Colin Mackerras and NPC deputy Pema Tso, a researcher at the Xizang Academy of Social Sciences, on Xizang's modernization and cultural preservation. Mackerras affirmed Xizang's historical ties to China and praised local social and economic progress. Pema Tso highlighted how Xizang has overcome Western misconceptions, using technologies like 5G to write its own history.
China's 2026 national two sessions are underway, with the development of ethnic regions as a key focus. Australian sinologist Colin Mackerras, a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, has long studied Xizang and visited the region and other Tibetan areas multiple times. He stated: "I think that there's been a lot of history that shows that Xizang should be part of China." Mackerras praised efforts in cultural preservation, particularly in Tibetan literature and Tibetan opera, adding: "I've seen the opera myself on several occasions, and I really like it." He noted steady improvements in literacy rates, life expectancy, and living standards among Tibetan people, saying: "All of these are very important; they improve the livelihood of the Tibetan people, and that is a very good thing."
Mackerras highlighted distorted narratives about Xizang in international opinion, with some Western societies holding misconceptions about Tibetan culture and ethnic development. In the latest episode of China Q&A with China News Network, he shared observations with NPC deputy Pema Tso. Drawing on long-term field research in Xizang's pastoral areas, Pema responded from international and domestic perspectives.
Internationally, she identified two misunderstandings in foreign academic research: a Western-centric view of Xizang as a static, mysterious "Shambhala," and a politically biased interpretation through ethnic conflict lenses. She proposed "Thick Description" to counter these, citing herders in Nagqu City who retain traditional lifestyles while benefiting from the national 5G system for modern conveniences, new prosperity paths, higher incomes, and better living standards. "Therefore, pastoral areas in Xizang now present a completely different picture despite some misunderstandings from the international academic circle on the region," Pema said. "Xizang today is completely different. We need to use the universal academic language of anthropology to compare Xizang's case in the context of globalization. This kind of horizontal comparison is one of the most recognized research paradigms within the international academia. We use facts and science to present a real, developing Xizang."
Domestically, Pema noted the most touching change as extended lifespans and broader horizons for Tibetan people, inseparable from national policies. In the past, lives in Nagqu's pastoral areas were shaped by seasons and livestock, with high infant mortality and altitude-related diseases due to limited public health. Now, many in their 70s remain healthy and active, and endemic diseases like tuberculosis, hydatid disease, and Kashin-Beck disease are under historic control.
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of China's pairing assistance program to Xizang. Pema views education aid as crucial. Per the seventh national population census, university-educated individuals per 100,000 in Xizang rose from 5,507 in 2010 to 11,019 in 2020. As a beneficiary, Pema shared her journey: from a Nagqu pastoral child to middle school in Tianjin, then a PhD in anthropology in Norway and Australia. "When a child from the pastoral area in Xizang can speak fluent Tibetan language and can also tell stories about their hometown in international academic language, they are no longer the people only can be written about. They are the ones writing their own history. Ordinary people in Xizang are indeed masters of their own lives," she concluded.
2026 also marks the 75th anniversary of Xizang's peaceful liberation. Mackerras said claims of "cultural destruction" contradict facts, with preservation and development evident. Pema emphasized that Xizang's progress shows in medical coverage, education, and individual destinies, stating: "The greatest transformation is that ordinary people in Xizang have truly become the masters of their own lives."
