ABSTRACT
China considers Tibet an integral part of its territory and strongly opposes any foreign intervention in Tibetan affairs. Through the 1954 Agreement, India implicitly recognized Tibet as part of China. Chinese officials have even asserted that the Tibet issue no longer constitutes a point of contention between China and India. However, amid worsening Sino-Indian ties, the Tibet question was intentionally leveraged and politicized by China and India. Although China has consistently cautioned against external interference in Tibetan affairs, India's historical, cultural, and geographical ties with Tibet cannot be easily severed, positioning India in a unique role. Looking forward, Tibet remains a critical and contentious issue, despite its absence from recent China–India joint statements. The post-Dalai Lama period is fraught with considerable uncertainty, necessitating enhanced coordination between China and India to mitigate potential conflicts and maintain regional stability.
