How can there be a "Tibet issue" and, if there is one, what is its nature? These two points have to be clarified for a person to understand the ulterior motives of the Dalai Lama when he gave a speech recently.

First, there has been no such a thing as "independent Tibet" since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) established its suzerainty over the region. It was the invasion of Tibet by British forces in the late 19th century that made Tibetan sovereignty an issue. When the British forces withdrew after waging two wars, they tried to create an "independent Tibet" by convening the Simla Convention.

After Britain's clout on world politics ended with World War II, the United States got involved in the "Tibet issue", and the Central Intelligence Agency even supported the Dalai Lama in his attempt to split Tibet from China.