The Chinese government has apparently decided that all climbing on Mount Everest must stop from May 1 to the 10th - so that they can send some climbers up for an Olympics-themed promotion. Enlisting the cooperation of neighboring Nepal, China intends to televise the entire event, and doesn’t want any nosy Tibetans getting in the way. Things have gotten rough in Tibet recently, with Tibetans declaring that their historically separate nation is, in fact, a separate nation. Much as with the situation in Taiwan, the Chinese government doesn’t take this very well, and has responded with a significant amount of police and military action to put down the Tibetan independence movement.
The head of the IOC has expressed concern over the recent crackdowns, and the added closure of the mountain will mostly serve to bring more attention to the issue than there would have otherwise been.
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, have killed 80 people, with dozens more injured, according to supporters of the Tibetans’ spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who warned Tibet faced “cultural genocide” and appealed to the world for help.
Beijing maintains that Tibet is historically a part of China, but many Tibetans argue that it was virtually independent for centuries and accuse Beijing of trying to crush Tibetan culture.
These instances point to a much larger issue - with China emerging as a major world power, how can it be expected to act? The Chinese government seems to have an unerringly paternalistic attitude when it comes to quashing ideas that it doesn’t like. While often unsuccessful (such as with the heavily flawed “Great Firewall of China”), the basic attitude is a monopolar “Daddy knows best” way of looking at situations involving adult members of the public. What will happen as China expands its influence? Will their attitude towards foreign affairs continue to revolve around a complete disinterest in talking about any remotely uncomfortable topics?
Fortunately, Western values have entropy on their side - it’s no doubt easier to break down a carefully crafted view of pseudo-authority, than it is to build it up. Only time will tell how this will turn out. China’s government will need to lose some of its obsession with issuing commands if it intends to work with the West on any level besides that of a trading partner.
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