‘China destroying our identity’, say Tibetans as Beijing refers to Tibet as ‘Xizang’ in white paper

Chinese media increasingly refers to Tibet as ‘Xizang’ following the release of a white paper by Beijing. The paper, titled “CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements”, outlines developments in Tibet since President Xi Jinping took power. This is the first time ‘Xizang’ has been used as the English translation for Tibet. The name change reflects Beijing’s emphasis on sovereignty and its efforts to exercise “discourse power”. However, it is unlikely to impact how the international community refers to the region.