(TibetanReview.net, Jan30’26) – The English translation has been launched on Jan 29 of a book by a retired professor from US and Hong Kong which lays bare China’s official and archival historical records which pointedly refute the current party-state’s propaganda assertion that Tibet has been part of what is today the People’s Republic of China(PRC) since ancient times.
The book, Tibet Was Never Part of China Since Antiquity by Professor Hon-Shiang Lau and published by Optimum Publishing International, was launched at a function in Washington, DC, organised by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which works to promote democracy around the world.
The publication is based entirely on authoritative Chinese historical records and documents, presenting a scholarly examination of Tibet’s historical status through China’s own sources.
At the event, Professor Lau has explained the rigorous methodology underpinning his research. He has said all cited materials were selected on the basis of three strict criteria: First, the records must have been authored by recognised Chinese government organisations prior to 1949. Second, the same records must have been reprinted or republished by Chinese government after 1949. Third, the materials must remain verifiable through public libraries or publicly accessible databases operated by the PRC.
Professor Lau has contended that records meeting these conditions cannot be credibly disputed by the Chinese government, as they originate from its own historical corpus.
Regarding the justification for writing the book, Professor Lau has noted that since the 1950s, the Chinese government has repeatedly relied on distortions and fabricated claims concerning Tibetan history. He therefore saw the need for a credible, evidence-based approach for straightening the record, relying on irrefutable sources to counter such narratives.
“The likelihood of anyone getting tough on China on behalf of Tibet is small,” Professor Lau has said, making it all the more essential for Tibetans and supporters to engage and inform the Chinese public directly about Tibet’s historical realities.
Others present or who took part in a panel discussion at the book’s launch included Ambassador Sam Brownback, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; Bhuchung K Tsering from the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), and Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration. The discussion was moderated by Josh Rogin, columnist for The Washington Post.
After the book launch event, a symposium was hosted by the ICT, at which Professor Lau further presented and discussed his research with Chinese and Chinese-speaking audiences, with the aim of fostering a deeper understanding of Tibet’s history based on documented evidence.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering had arrived in the US Capitol the day before to take part in a series of events which included meetings on Capitol Hill, and taking part in “major conferences and summits”.
Professor Lau received his Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Singapore in 1969 and PhD in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973. He was Regents Professor of Management Science at Oklahoma State University from 1987 to 2000 and Chair Professor of Operations Management at the City University of Hong Kong from 2000 to 2011. In 2010 he was identified by a US academic journal as one of the 50 most widely-published operations-management scholars worldwide. He retired in 2011 to devote most of his time to studying Chinese history.
(Source: Tibet.net, Jan 30, 2026, etc.)