The Chinese government has once again used soft power and cultural manipulation to insert its political agenda into international spaces, this time at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF). The screening of Chinese propaganda films that depict Tibet as “Xizang” is not cultural exchange; it is a strategic attempt to rewrite history and normalize occupation through media.
From a Tibetan perspective, this is deeply offensive and politically charged. The term “Xizang” is not a neutral designation. It is a colonial imposition, an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to erase the historical, cultural, and religious identity of the Tibetan people. Tibet is not “Xizang.” It never was. The term itself is part of a larger propaganda strategy aimed at reframing Tibet as an inseparable part of #China, which is a lie backed by decades of coercion, violence, and forced assimilation.
KIMFF, known for showcasing stories of indigenous voices and mountain communities, must be held accountable for giving a platform to these kinds of narratives. By including state-sponsored films that glorify the Chinese presence in Tibet, the festival has become complicit in spreading misinformation and in legitimizing an illegal occupation.
For Tibetans and supporters of human rights, this is not merely about terminology or semantics, it is about identity, sovereignty, and the ongoing struggle against a Chinese Communist Party that weaponizes language and art to crush dissent and dilute truth. The CCP’s use of international film platforms is not accidental; it is part of a calculated effort to dominate the global discourse on Tibet and silence authentic Tibetan voices.
China’s propaganda films often showcase “harmonious” development, happy Tibetans dancing in choreographed gratitude, and glorified infrastructural progress. But behind this façade lies a grim reality: over a million Tibetan children separated from their families and placed in colonial boarding schools, hundreds of monasteries destroyed or monitored, religious practices suppressed, and Tibetan language marginalized.
The international community including film festivals like KIMFF must understand that screening Chinese films on Tibet without critical context directly aids a regime that seeks to erase Tibetan identity. Tibetan filmmakers, voices, and lived realities are systematically excluded inside Tibet. Allowing the Chinese government to speak for Tibetans is not just unethical—it is propaganda disguised as art.
Tibetans call on KIMFF and all cultural institutions to reconsider whose voices they amplify. Cultural neutrality does not mean platforming state-sponsored erasure. Tibet is not a cinematic backdrop for Beijing’s fantasies. Tibet is a nation under occupation, with its own history, language, religion, and struggle for justice. Tibetans do not consent to the use of the word “Xizang.” It is a political tool, not a name.
To allow Chinese propaganda films to redefine Tibet at international platforms is to betray the very spirit of cultural festivals that claim to honor truth, diversity, and resistance. Tibetans demand better.
