China’s Money and Migrants Pour Into Tibet →

Why so disrespectful, Han China? Whenever my mother and I talk about Tibet, usually offhandedly, she insists that despite critical Western reporting, Beijing is just trying to help Tibet advance and “improve,” often recounting secondary stories of how backward Tibetans are. Whatever the case may be, there is definitely something innately wrong with shamelessly importing—let’s face it—foreigners into one’s cherished land. Why not help the Tibetans develop this human capital among their own native population? Encouraging Han migration into Tibet may be the more economically expedient way to “develop” the region, but shouldn’t public policy be more nuanced than simple cost-benefit analyses?