Tibet government-in-exile unpopular among Tibetans: China

China today called the Dharamsala- based Tibetan government-in-exile "unpopular" in Tibet and its recent election for the post of Prime Minister a "political farce" as no country has recognised it in the world.
"The so-called exile government is not popular with people in Tibet," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing while answering a question on allegations of harassment and torture of people in Tibet.
"The so-called government-in-exile is illegal," Hong said when asked to comment on the re-election of Lobsang Sangay as Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
"No country and government acknowledges such organisation. The so-called election is a political farce staged by this organisation," he said.

Sangay, the 47-year-old 'Sikyong' or Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile was recently re-elected, defeating his lone rival Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, by a margin of 9,012 votes and receiving about 58 per cent of the 58,740 votes cast.
Tibetan election officials announced the result on April 27 in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the government-in-exile.

Sangay had said the election sent a message to China where people are "deprived of exercising their democratic rights" and termed it as a message of hope for Tibetans in Tibet.
(Reopens FGN5)
About 320,000 people in Tibet work in tourism, 97,000 being farmers and herdsmen. The regional government aims to receive over 30 million tourists in 2020, with an annual tourism revenue of over 55 billion yuan (USD 7.9 billion), it said.

Tibet's distinctive culture and the tourists it attracts have been vital in turning the region into the main trade channel between China and South Asia, the report said.
Besides, Tibet is adjacent to Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Xinjiang - all deeply important to Chinese President Xi Jinping's multibillion dollar Belt and Road (Silk Road) initiative.
The establishment of a free trade zone on the border which is under discussion will also be regulated, Wang said.
Tibet, a plateau region has a lengthy border with Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal.
In 2015, China and India vowed to step up collaboration in fields such as drug control and illegal immigration, the illicit arms trade and other cross-border crimes, the report said.