"China’s propaganda on the 17-point agreement distorts history and impedes path to resolving the Tibet problem"

Today, the Chinese authorities are expected to announce plans to celebrate the 60th anniversary of what they call "the peaceful liberation of Tibet." This so-called "liberation" is based upon the signature by representatives of the Chinese and Tibetan governments on May 23, 1951, of the "17-Point Agreement." This somewhat negotiated­ agreement between Buddhist Tibet and Communist China effectively changed Tibet's international legal status from independent nation to a region of the People's Republic of China.