(TibetanReview.net, May24’25) – China appears to be preparing to make a big deal of celebrating the 60th anniversary of its establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region, following its annexation of the Himalayan Buddhist country in 1951. Apart from everything else, a major highlight appears to be to emphasize China’s Oct 2023 decision to use only the Sinicized name “Xizang” for “Tibet” in all its official documents.
A logo marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of “ Xizang Autonomous Region” has been officially unveiled, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn May 23, citing China Central Television (CCTV).
The publicity and cultural affairs group of the organizing committee for the 60th anniversary celebration has said the logo features the number “60,” formed by a flowing ribbon derived from the Chinese national flag and petals of the Gesang flower, also called happy flowers. The fluttering red flag is stated to represent “the care and support of the motherland, which has enabled Xizang to flourish over the past six decades.”
The design is stated to incorporate elements such as the Fuxing high-speed train, modern rural communities, wind power, snow-capped mountains and Tibetan antelopes – “all emblematic of the remarkable achievements in Xizang’s socialist modernization over the past 60 years.”
The dates “1965-2025” on the logo is stated to mark the span since the establishment of the autonomous region.
Missing from the logo is any depiction of Tibet’s centuries-old, defining spiritual and cultural characteristics which China is accused of destroying in the name of Sinicization.
The changeover to ‘Xizang’ is viewed as part of China’s broader campaign to control narratives around Tibet, assert sovereignty, and align global discourse more closely with its internal terminology and political framework.