Tibet

China sets up high-altitude drone R&D centre in Tibet near Mt Everest

China has established a drone research and development centre near Mount Everest in Tibet to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for operations in high-altitude areas to bolster border patrols, security, logistics and transport. Tibet, often referred to as the roof of the world, is over 4,000 metres high. The cold high-altitude plateau is also low on Oxygen. With rugged terrain and rapidly changing weather, it is regarded as an ideal ground for developing drone technology, according to Chinese engineers. The Plateau Drone R&D Application Centre was launched at Xizang (Tibet) University onJuly 3, marking the official launch of China's first professional platform dedicated entirely to the research, development and practical deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in high-altitude plateau environments, state-run Xinhua news agency reported earlier from provincial capital Lhasa. The high-altitude centre is expected to provide an advantage for China in its ongoing competition .

Defying China: A powerful memoir of Tibetan resistance under Chinese rule

A Tibetan nun's memoir chronicles the persecution she faced under Chinese rule while giving voice to those still suffering in Tibet

India-China border trade via Lipulekh Pass to resume after 6 years

The first batch of 26 Indian traders is expected to enter the Chinese territory of Tibet through the Lipulekh pass on June 26, marking the resumption of border trade after a six-year hiatus, according to administrative sources in Dharchula. Ashish Joshi, Trade Officer and Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), said that 26 trade passes have been issued, which include 17 traders and nine helpers. A customs office has also been opened at Gunji to facilitate the process. "We expect the first batch of Indian traders to reach Tibet on June 26, as they have already stored their goods in warehouses at villages near the Lipulekh pass," Joshi said. The administration has received applications from more than 103 traders and is currently planning to issue trade passes for a second batch of 25 traders shortly. To assist the traders, the administration has designated a spot near Nabhidhang for mules and horses to transport goods to the Lipulekh pass, which is located nearly 600 metres from

Border dispute with China arose after India recognised Tibet in 1954: CDS

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said the border dispute with China followed India's recognition of Tibet as part of the that country in 1954 with the signing of Panchsheel Agreement. The chief of defence staff (CDS) was delivering a lecture on 'Frontiers, Borders and LAC: The Middle Sector' under the India Himalayan International Strategic Forum think tank at Lok Bhavan here on Friday. Chauhan said, "In 1954, India officially recognised Tibet as part of China, the two countries signed the Panchsheel Agreement." Following the agreement, "India considered itself to have settled its northern border. This was the only area that we believed had not been settled through a formal treaty," he said. The CDS said that the legitimacy of this border for India was based on the Panchsheel Agreement, which it believed demarcated by identifying six passes -- Shipki La, Mana, Niti, Kungri Bingri, Darma and Lipulekh -- through which trade and pilgrimage would take place. He said, "Howev

Tremors felt in Kolkata after earthquake hits Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tibet

Earlier on Tuesday, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck Myanmar at about 9:04 PM. It occurred at a depth of 27 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks

The monk who won Grammy: Dalai Lama's album 'Meditations' awarded

The 90-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader won his first Grammy for a spoken word album, drawing celebration from followers and sharp criticism from China

Earthquake of magnitude 3.6 strikes Tibet, no causalities reported so far

The Tibetan Plateau is known for its seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions

All hikers stranded in Tibetan blizzard on Mt Everest rescued: Officials

Hundreds of hikers who were caught in a deadly blizzard on the Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest since Saturday have reached safety, local officials said on Tuesday. Earlier official media reports said one hiker died. All hikers and local hiking service personnel stranded by heavy snowfall in Dingri County, Xigaze City in southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, have reached safety, according to the local government. A total of 580 hikers and more than 300 personnel, including local guides and yak herders, have arrived safely in Qudeng Township and nearby areas, where local staff are organising their return journeys in an orderly manner, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local government statement. About a dozen hikers were escorted to a meeting point with the help of local teams carrying food, medicine, heating and oxygen supplies, the Xinhua report said. Heavy snowfall began to hit Dingri on Saturday evening, affecting the hikers along mountain trails near Qudeng. The county governmen

Tibetan activists protest outside UN in New York, demand independence

This protest took place alongside the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where world leaders gathered to discuss pressing global issues

Earthquake of magnitude 3.8 hits Tibet, no casualties reported so far

The Tibetan Plateau is known for its seismic activity due to tectonic plate collisions

Xi visits Lhasa for 60th anniversary of Tibet Autonomous Region

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday arrived in Lhasa, Tibet's provincial capital, to mark the 60th anniversary of Tibet's founding as an autonomous region. Xi, heading a delegation of officials from Beijing, was welcomed by people from various ethnic groups in Tibet, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) was formed officially by China in 1965 after it annexed the region in 1950. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, along with a large group of Tibetans fled to India in 1959, and has lived in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamsala ever since. The octogenarian monk celebrated his 90th birthday last month during which he said his successor will be chosen by Gaden Phodrang Trust, which was founded by him in 2015. China has rejected the Dalai Lama's succession insisting that any future heir must receive its seal of approval. China calls Tibet Xizang. Xi also held separate meetings with representatives of cadres who come to work in Tibet from ot

China to build Xinjiang-Tibet rail link 'near' LAC with India: Report

China is set to build the most ambitious rail link connecting Xinjiang province with Tibet, part of which will run near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, according to a media report. Work is expected to get underway this year on one of the world's most ambitious rail projects with the launch of a state-owned company to oversee the construction and operations of a line that will link Hotan in Xinjiang and Lhasa in Tibet, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway Company (XTRC) had been formally registered with 95 billion yuan (USD 13.2 billion) in capital and wholly owned by China State Railway Group to build the project, the report said, quoting the state-run Shanghai Securities News. "This ambitious project aims to establish a 5,000 km plateau rail framework centred on Lhasa by 2035, Hubei-based Huayuan Securities said in a research note on Friday. The project's registered capital represents initial funding, not total project cost

Taken note of reports of China building dam on Brahmaputra: Govt tells RS

India has "taken note" of reports about China commencing the construction of a mega dam project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (upper reaches of Brahmaputra) in Tibet, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. In a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said the project was first made public as far back as 1986 and since then, preparations have been underway in China. The government of India has "taken note of reports about commencement of construction of mega dam project by China on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) River in Tibet," he said. The government "carefully monitors" all developments relating to the Brahmaputra River, including plans by China to develop hydropower projects, and "takes necessary measures to protect our interests, including preventive and corrective measures to safeguard life and livelihood of Indian citizens residing in the .

Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 jolts Tibet; third tremor in five days

The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks

No threat to India from upper Brahmaputra mega dam project, says China

India has expressed serious concern over the strategic and environmental implications of the project with the potential of it being used a tool during geo-political tensions

China starts building world's largest hydropower project in Tibet

China's CSI Construction & Engineering Index jumped as much as 4 per cent to a seven-month high. Power Construction Corporation of China and Arcplus Group PLC surged by their 10 per cent daily limit

China constructing dam on Brahmaputra not immediate concern, says Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday tried to alleviate fears on China's move to construct the world's largest dam on Brahmaputra and said he does not foresee any immediate cause of worry as the river gets most of its waters from Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Sarma said the exact impact of the massive dam, the construction of which began last week, is not properly known as different theories are being floated, and hoped that the Centre must be in touch with China on the matter. China on Saturday formally started the construction of a USD 167.8 billion dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, close to the border with India in Arunachal Pradesh. "I am not immediately worried because Brahmaputra is a mighty river and it is not dependent on a single source (of water)," Sarma told reporters here. When asked about the possible downstream impact of the dam on Assam, he said it is not yet known whether it will be good

Mansarovar Yatra: First batch of 45 pilgrims enter Tibet via Lipulekh pass

The first batch of 45 Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims passing through the Lipulekh pass here entered Tibet, situated at an altitude of 17,000 feet, on Thursday morning, said an official in the nodal agency for the pilgrimage. Dhan Singh Bisht, in charge of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam's Dharchula base camp, said the pilgrims reached Nabhidang, situated at an altitude of 4,104 feet above Gunji on Tuesday and stayed there through the next day to acclimatise themselves. During their stay in Tibet, the pilgrims will halt at Taklakot, Darchen, Dera Phuk, Junghui Poo and Kugu and will visit and circumambulate Mount Kailash and the Manasarovar Lake, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. This group will return to India via the Lipulekh Pass on July 18. Meanwhile, another group of 48 pilgrims left for Gunji from the Dharchula base camp. This group comprises 34 male and 14 female pilgrims, including former MP Meenakshi Lekhi. This year, about 250 pilgrims will go on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

Dalai Lama turns 90: Monk, exile, Nobel laureate and symbol of hope

From a shepherd boy in Amdo to a global peace icon, the Dalai Lama's life spans resistance to Chinese rule, spiritual leadership, and a Nobel Prize for non-violence