In what appears to be a routine personnel move, Beijing has replaced Zhang Qingli, the Communist Party boss who has taken a hard-line against the Dalai Lama, calling him a, “wolf in monk’s robes.” From AP:
The official Xinhua News Agency said Zhang Qingli, the region’s highest-ranking official, is being moved to another position which it did not identify. It said he will be replaced by Chen Quanguo, a longtime party official in the eastern province of Henan who last served as governor of Hebei province surrounding Beijing.
Like all of Tibet’s party chiefs, Chen is not Tibetan but a member of China’s majority Han ethnic group.
No reason was given for the move, although Zhang has served five years in the position, roughly the standard term for provincial officials.
China’s policies for Tibet are set at the highest levels in Beijing and there is no reason to believe the move heralds any major change.
Read more about Zhang Qingli via CDT.
