Latest news with #Tibetans
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a timeless magnet for travelers
An aerial photo taken on July 16, 2025 shows the scenery of Zhaxi island scenic area of Namtso Lake, the world's highest saltwater lake in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. – Xinhua photo LHASA (July 26): Dressed in vibrant outfits, Li Xiaochao and her daughter beamed at the camera, joyfully exclaiming: 'We're at Namtso, and we're so excited!' The dazzling blue lake shimmered behind them, framed by the snow-capped Mount Nyainqentanglha. Located in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Namtso Lake is regarded by Tibetans as the 'heavenly lake'. Standing at an elevation of 4,718 meters, it is the highest saltwater lake in the world. Traveling all the way from Cangzhou in north China's Hebei Province, Li and her group spent the past week exploring some of Xizang's most famous landmarks, including the Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace, the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon, and the Mount Qomolangma scenic area. 'This is actually my second time in Xizang, and my first visit was back in 2008,' Li said. 'The changes over the past 17 years have been incredible. The development here has been rapid, the locals are as warm and welcoming as ever, and the infrastructure has improved tremendously. 'Even after all these years, my experience this time has been just as wonderful,' she added. Renowned for its breathtaking scenery, Namtso Lake attracted 5.11 million domestic and international tourists between 2014 and 2024. 'As of mid-July this year, we have welcomed about 150,000 tourists,' said Zhang Longquan, chairman of the Namtso Lake scenic area protection and development company, noting that the company's revenue has boosted local livelihoods by creating jobs, such as hiring herdsmen to provide horses and yaks for tourists, and by distributing dividends to them. 'I earn about 9,000 yuan (about US$1,259) per month without having to work far from home,' said Sigya, 26, a resident of a nearby village. To better protect the lake's ecosystem, the company has upgraded the surrounding infrastructure, including introducing eco-friendly public toilets and electric sightseeing buses. 'Wildlife diversity in the area has significantly increased in recent years,' Zhang said. An aerial drone photo taken on July 19, 2025 shows a view of the Sapukonglagabo Mountain in Biru County, Nagqu City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. – Xinhua photo About 500 km away, the Sapukonglagabo Mountain scenic area in Biru County, Nagqu City, is famous for its magnificent snow-capped mountains, spectacular glaciers, and abundant wildlife. Its main peak soars to nearly 7,000 meters above sea level. Wang Liming and her family, who have been on a road trip through several provinces, arrived at the scenic area on Saturday. 'Despite the challenges of altitude sickness, the stunning landscapes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau always leave us in awe. 'The climate here is wonderful and the intangible cultural heritage performances by Tibetan artists are truly unique,' said Wang, who comes from northeast China's Liaoning Province. 'The exhaustion of the long drive was absolutely worth it.' Drolma, a local resident of Biru County, spent her weekend picnicking with family in the scenic area. 'We are so happy to see more tourists from home and abroad visiting Xizang. Many locals have jumped on the tourism bandwagon, increasing their incomes as the industry grows,' she added. 'The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as 'world's third pole,' spans vast regions including Xizang and Qinghai Province, boasting unique natural resources and magnificent landscapes that have long captivated global travelers,' said Luo Hui, an associate researcher of the China Tibetology Research Center. 'In recent years, the central government and local authorities in Xizang have vigorously promoted the high-quality development of the tourism industry. 'Through measures such as introducing supportive policies, creating distinctive tourism brands, and optimising diverse travel routes, they are striving to make the region a world-class tourist destination,' Luo added. In the first half of this year, Xizang saw 31.28 million tourist visits, up 11.67 per cent year on year, according to the regional culture and tourism department. Of the total, inbound tourist arrivals surged 31.2 per cent to 196,400. Tourism revenue in the region totaled 31.55 billion yuan in the same period, marking a 10.18 per cent year-on-year increase. – Xinhua China Mount Nyainqentanglha Namtso Lake tourism Xinhua
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'They don't feel safe; it's scary': Hunter's Tibetan community living in fear
The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in." The Hunter's Tibetan community is living in fear after hearing that Chinese Consul General Wang Yu was inquiring about their whereabouts during a recent visit to Newcastle. Mr Yu and his delegation asked about the local members of the persecuted community during a meeting with lord mayor Ross Kerridge and at lunch with union representatives last Thursday. China does not recognise Tibet's sovereignty and considers its community members to be political separatists. Many members of the Hunter's 170-strong Tibetan community endured persecution, imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese government before arriving in Australia as part of humanitarian programs. Most still have family members in Tibet. Lobsang Lungtok, who lives in Newcastle, was tortured for 18 months in a detention camp after writing a poem criticising China's one-child policy in 1995. He said the news that Mr Yu had been asking questions about the local community was extremely concerning. "I have spoken to a lot of Tibetans who are saying, 'What's going on? Why are the Chinese here? They don't feel safe; it's scary," Mr Lungtok, the former president of the Newcastle Tibetan Community, said. "A lot of them are worried about their families back home." He said he suspected the growth of the Hunter's Tibetan community in recent years was of concern to Chinese officials. "We have been growing very fast. They (the Chinese government) probably think we are going to start a guerilla movement or something," he said. "We are peaceful people who wish to live quiet lives in Australia." Mr Lungtok, 50, arrived in Australia in 2001 after fleeing to India following his release from prison. He is married with a young family. He said his community was grateful for the support of the wider community, which included having Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and lord mayor Ross Kerridge present at their celebration of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. However, he said the Australian government needed to be stronger in its defence of Tibet and its people. "We just saw the prime minister with the Chinese president walking on the Great Wall. He said 'this is a nice place, everyone is welcome'. Not everyone is welcome," he said. Mr Lungtok's most recent run-in with Chinese authorities was only last month when he was deported from China after attempting to visit his family. "They deported me back to Sydney Airport. If they wanted to kidnap someone it would be so easy to do it there," he said. Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton said his Newcastle counterpart Ross Kerridge had no business speaking on behalf of other councils during his now-infamous meeting with the Chinese consul general. The meeting minutes show that as part of a discussion about the Hunter Region, Cr Kerridge said that one of the Hunter Joint Organisation's priorities was to transition away from coal mining. "LM (Lord Mayor) provided an overview of the JO strategy for transition out of coal in the Hunter Valley," the minutes say. Cr Drayton, said he was shocked Cr Kerridge had not consulted him before he spoke about the transition away from coal mining. "Forget how nave it is - a meet and greet with the Chinese discussing things like our region's role in defence, the local Tibetan community. When I saw in the minutes that the discussion turned to the Hunter, I couldn't believe it," Cr Drayton said. "On what planet does a Newcastle Lord Mayor offer views to China about the Hunter Joint Organisation - without a word to the other nine councils? Let alone Muswellbrook. "On what planet would he tell China the Hunter councils share a priority to, quote, 'transition out of coal mining'?" Cr Drayton said it was factually wrong to say that Muswellbrook or any other mining community had voluntarily chosen to move away from coal. "Mine closures are a commercially-driven challenge that our communities are counting on us to respond to - and believe me, we are. We have 12,000 jobs riding on it, across the Hunter, from pit to port. "To trot this out across the table from our main trading partner - even if he believes it, I'm not sure why he's felt the need to weigh in."
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Former Tibet Official Receives Suspended Death Sentence for Corruption
A former Chinese official, whom the United States and Canada sanctioned for aiding the Communist Party's human rights abuses, has been given a suspended death sentence for taking bribes. Wu Yingjie, former Party chief in the far-western region of Tibet, was found guilty of taking approximately 343 million yuan (about $47.7 million) in bribes while serving in various positions in Tibet between 2006 and 2021, according to a statement issued by the Supreme People's Court, China's highest court, on July 15. Wu was given a death sentence with two years' probation, and the authorities will confiscate his personal assets, the court said. This means that if Wu demonstrates good behavior over the next two years, his death sentence could be reduced to life imprisonment. Wu, 68, was among the highest-profile figures to be purged under Xi Jinping, the Party's top leader. Wu had been placed under investigation by the country's top anti-corruption agency since July 2024. In December 2024, Wu was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for so-called seriously violating the law and regulations, including meddling in engineering projects in exchange for cash bribes, state media reported at the time. The harsh sentence adds to the signs that the CCP hasn't eased the anti-corruption campaign, which was launched shortly after Xi took control of the Party in 2012. The campaign has taken down some of Xi's most powerful rivals. However, in recent years, amid intensified power struggles within the party, it has also been directed against those within Xi's inner circle. Wu climbed the political ladder during his nearly 50 years in Tibet, starting in the educational bureau and later moving to the propaganda department. In 2005, he became a member of the Party committee, according to publicly available information in China. His political career reached its peak in 2016, when he was appointed as Tibet's Party secretary, a role that he held for five years. In 2021, Wu was appointed to the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp legislature, and subsequently served in the People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body. As part of the actions to mark Human Rights Day, on Dec. 9, 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on Wu for his involvement in the CCP's rights violations in Tibet, alongside another senior Chinese official, Zhang Hongbo. The U.S. Treasury Department said at the time that Tibetans have been subject to serious human rights abuses in the region, including 'arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and physical abuse,' as part of the CCP's efforts to 'severely restrict religious freedoms.' In addition, the State Department announced sanctions against Tang Yong, former deputy director of Chongqing Area Prisons in southwestern China, in response to the CCP's ongoing persecution of the spiritual group Falun Gong. The move drew the ire of Beijing. China's foreign ministry announced sanctions against two Americans: Miles Yu, a key China policy adviser to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Todd Stein, then-deputy staff director at the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. In December 2024, Canada added Wu and seven other Chinese officials to its sanctions list for their involvement in the CCP's repressions against Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Falun Gong practitioners. Beijing retaliated by sanctioning 20 Canadian individuals and two organizations that have been vocal about the CCP's human rights violations, drawing condemnation from Ottawa.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'They weren't threatening but they were very clear': what the Chinese said during their visit to Newcastle
Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge admits he was "a bit surprised" the subjects of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines arose during a meeting with Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, which had been pitched as a 'meet and greet'. The same issues were again raised during a lunch with Hunter union representatives following the meeting. Last Thursday's meeting with the Lord Mayor, chief of staff Gina Hanson and government relations manager Nikki Taylor had been scheduled with the recently appointed Consul General about six weeks ago. No agenda was provided, and no other councillors, nor members of the City of Newcastle's executive leadership team, were present. After exchanging pleasantries and engaging in a general discussion about the city, the delegation proactively raised their country's position on Tibet and Taiwan. "We talked about Tibet and how many Tibetans live in Newcastle. I said, yes, there is a Tibetan community in Newcastle and they don't cause any trouble," Cr Kerridge said. "They talked about their position on Taiwan in much the same way. "I was a bit surprised; they weren't threatening, but they were very clear." The conversation then moved to whether Newcastle was going to be a nuclear submarine base. "I remarked that Newcastle Council's long-standing policy is that we are a non-nuclear city, but that any decision about a submarine base would be a matter for the state and federal governments. He did explain that a submarine base in Newcastle would make China less interested in investing in the area," Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said that, while he was satisfied with how he handled the conversation, he said he would have sought advice if he had been aware the contentious issues were going to be raised. "If they had said that they wanted to talk about those things, we would have sought advice. By putting it on the agenda, it would have been more than just, 'this is our position', Cr Kerridge said. Cr Kerridge said the meeting highlighted the need for the council to develop an external relations policy. 'As I see it, part of our role is to liaise with groups like this. You should have a standard approach about what you engage in and how you do it." Minutes of the meeting were circulated to councillors and subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph. "(Leaking the minutes) doesn't help our relationship with China. It's important that we are polite and respectful to all countries," Cr Kerridge said. The lord mayor's second-in-charge, Liberal deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, said he was left in the dark about the meeting with the Chinese diplomat. Cr Pull said it was "made clear" to the lord mayor that the meeting should be reported to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. "Reading the record of this meeting immediately rang alarm bells," he said. "I and other councillors have questioned why we were not informed of, or invited to the meeting, and why the meeting occurred with apparently no agenda, stated intent or clear purpose." The Newcastle Herald understands at least one other councillor was invited to the meeting. Since Cr Kerridge's election, he has held meetings with Kongsberg Defence Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Newcastle Airport, the Port of Newcastle and the Hunter Defence Task Force. Defence has signed an $850 million contract with Kongsberg to establish Australia's first guided weapons production factory at Williamtown. Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, duty senator for the Hunter, has publicly stated that the meeting should "ring alarm bells at the highest levels of government". Cr Pull said the Opposition's concerns about the matter are "well-founded" as it is unclear whether the lord mayor was exposed to sensitive information concerning national security at prior meetings. "I encourage the Commonwealth to take all necessary steps to assess and respond to any potential national security risks this meeting may have caused," he said. "I am also deeply concerned about what seem to be threats if we support the Tibetan or Taiwanese communities. "As councillors, we should support all communities regardless of their ethnic background." Following the meeting with the Lord Mayor, the Chinese delegation met with Hunter union representatives for lunch at the Dockyard Hotel in Honeysuckle. Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said the lunch followed a dinner he had recently attended at the Chinese embassy with members of the South Coast Labour Council to commemorate the 1938 Dalfram Dispute. "The dinner was the initial contact for us. We saw the delegation's visit to Newcastle as an opportunity to establish a relationship with the Chinese companies that own 21 per cent of our electricity assets, are a major owner of coal assets in our region as well as the port," Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears said. "From our perspective, those were the things we wanted to talk to them about." Mr Shears confirmed the issues of Tibet, Taiwan and nuclear submarines were raised. "They didn't go into detail about their positions or what their concerns were. They said there is a Tibetan community here in Newcastle. Do you know them? "I said I don't know personally and we left it at that. They didn't raise it in a confrontational way and it wasn't awkward." Hunter Workers presented the delegation with a framed print of Newcastle Trades Hall secretary George Bass leaving Newcastle Courthouse with Chinese seafarers during the 1937 Silksworth Dispute at the Port of Newcastle.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
China begins building world's largest dam, fuelling fears in India
Getty Images Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh. Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a ceremony marking the start of construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo river on Saturday, according to local media. The river flows through the Tibetan plateau. The project has attracted criticism for its potential impact on millions of Indians and Bangladeshis living downriver, as well as the surrounding environment and local Tibetans. Beijing says the scheme, costing an estimated 1.2tn yuan ($167bn; £125bn), will prioritise ecological protection and boost local prosperity. When completed, the project - also known as the Motuo Hydropower Station - will overtake the Three Gorges dam as the world's largest, and could generate three times more energy. Experts and officials have flagged concerns that the new dam would empower China to control or divert the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states as well as Bangladesh, where it feeds into the Siang, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers. A 2020 report published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank, noted that "control over these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] effectively gives China a chokehold on India's economy". In an interview with news agency PTI earlier this month, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu expressed concern that the Siang and Brahmaputra could "dry up considerably" once the dam was completed. He added that the dam was "going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb'". "Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed," he said. "In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects." In January a spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs said they had expressed concerns to China about the impact of mega-dams and had urged Beijing to "ensure the interests of downstream states" were not harmed. They had also emphasised the "need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries". India plans to build a hydropower dam on the Siang river, which would act as a buffer against sudden water releases from China's dam and prevent flooding in their areas. China's foreign ministry has previously responded to India, saying in 2020 that China has a "legitimate right" to dam the river and has considered downstream impacts. Bangladesh also expressed concerns to China about the project, with officials in February sending a letter to Beijing requesting more information on the dam. Getty Images Chinese authorities have long eyed the hydropower potential of the dam's location in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It's in a massive canyon that is said to be the world's deepest and longest on land, along a section where the Yarlung Tsangpo - Tibet's longest river - makes a sharp U-turn around the Namcha Barwa mountain. In the process of making this turn - which has been termed "the Great Bend" - the river drops hundreds of metres in its elevation. Earlier reports indicated that authorities planned to drill multiple 20km-long tunnels through the Namcha Barwa mountain, via which they would divert part of the river. Over the weekend a Xinhua report on Li Qiang's visit said that engineers would conduct "straightening" work and "divert water through tunnels" to build five cascading power stations. Xinhua also reported that the hydropower dam's electricity would be mainly transmitted out of the region to be used elsewhere, while accommodating for Tibet's needs. China has been eyeing the steep valleys and mighty rivers in the rural west - where Tibetan territories are located - to build mega-dams and hydropower stations that can sustain the country's electricity-hungry eastern metropolises. President Xi Jinping has personally pushed for this in a policy called "xidiandongsong", or "sending western electricity eastwards". The Chinese government and state media have presented these dams as a win-win solution that cuts pollution and generates clean energy while uplifting rural Tibetans. But activists say the dams are the latest example of Beijing's exploitation of Tibetans and their land - and past protests have been crushed. Last year, the Chinese government rounded up hundreds of Tibetans who had been protesting against another hydropower dam. It ended in arrests and beatings, with some people seriously injured, the BBC learned through sources and verified footage. There are also environmental concerns over the flooding of Tibetan valleys renowned for their biodiversity, and the possible dangers of building dams in a region rife with earthquake fault lines. CORRECTION 21 July 2025: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the estimated cost of the dam was $1.67bn. A dam ignited rare Tibetan protests. They ended in beatings and arrests, BBC finds Bangladesh China India Tibet
