[jcampbell1]

What did they do to Tibet? The CIA tried to establish an independent Tibet so the US could have bases there, and later engaged in “Free Tibet” rhetoric meaning US weapons in Tibet, and China went to great expense to build a railroad to Lhasa to keep American weapons out of Tibet.

China doesn’t want US military bases on their side of the Himalayas. It remained an autonomous region until a bunch of clowns proposed putting US military assets there.

[ianburrell]

Tibet was independent from 1913 to 1950 invasion. You are talking about stuff that happened after the invasion. Tibet was part of Qing dynasty, rebelled when it collapsed, and was never part of ROC. It wasn’t recognized as independent but was definitely invaded by China.

It has similarities to Taiwan which is de facto independent but claimed by PRC.

[jcampbell1]

Unrecognized independence during a civil war and world war isn’t much of a claim. Chiang Kai Shek was adamant it was part of China.

Tibet has 3 million people, most of who are subsistence farmers or nomadic herders. Comparisons with Taiwan are a bit much.

I get that the Dali Lama is a really nice guy, but even he admits no one in Tibet gives a shit about him and becoming a feudal lord via picking objects as a child is a bit nuts.

[zzzeek]

so if China invaded Tibet (which they did) for "strategic reasons", somehow implying "they had no choice" and therefore "it's not really an invasion", then all of the invasions and interventions the US has done in Central / South America, Middle East etc. all fall under that same rationale. There's always a "reason"