Abstract
This research paper addresses the growing concerns of the Sino-Tibetan conflict by analyzing the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) through an intercultural communication and negotiation lens. By analyzing historical relationships between the two parties and comparing them to similar contemporary situations, this paper examines the sinicization of the Tibetan people. By exploring the “Old Tibet” and “New Tibet” narratives, while acknowledging the centrality of the Dalai Lama to both parties, it also addresses territorial disagreements and the contrasting understandings of sovereignty and modernization, which fuel the conflict. Finally, a policy framework of “one country, two systems” is proposed, highlighting possible reconciliation for the conflict at hand, while also preserving Tibetan cultural identity within the existing states’ structure.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Charles Choi
Recommended Citation
Berry, Madison M.; Ebeling, Aimee N.; and Hanson, Jayden A.
(2026)
"Between the Middle Kingdom and the Middle Way: An Analysis of State Power and Sacred Authority in the Sino-Tibet Conflict,"
Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 14, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr/vol14/iss1/2
Included in
Chinese Studies Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons
