Lately, China’s leadership has been extremely busy. Soon after the mega parade for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II was over, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and member of the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo left for Lhasa.
Here too the sky was blue, though it was more natural, the authorities did not need to close 10,000 factories like in the Chinese capital. However, President Xi Jinping did not turn up. He was probably too preoccupied with the fluctuating stock exchanges, the poor figures of the Chinese economy and the ‘reforms’ of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and perhaps, more importantly, with his forthcoming visit to the United States, which according to ‘China watchers’ may not be that smooth.
The Grand Show, in front of the Potala Palace, was addressed by Yu, with his lady colleagues of the Politburo on his side: Sun Chunlan (responsible of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), looking after Tibet affairs) and Liu Yandong (a state councilor and a former head of the UFWD).
In attendance too, Du Qinglin, also a former UFWD boss and now vice- chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and a full-general (probably Li Zuocheng, Commander of the Chengdu Military Region). Old Tibet hands, Jampa Phunsok, Phagphala Rinpoche and Raidi were also on the dais. Few commentators remarked the absence of the two Panchen Lamas, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the one chosen by the Dalai Lama who has been under house arrest for the past 20 years (though he is 26 only) and Gyaltsen Norbu, the candidate ‘selected’ by the Party, often mentioned on this blog.[Source]