Chinese military promotes Tibet paramilitary unit's political chief in 'unusual' move

The Chinese military has promoted Tibet’s political officer of the armed police forces, giving him more authority than many of his peers in other provinces, in an apparent effort to bolster the party’s control over security in the region.

Tang Xiao, political commissar for the paramilitary unit in the Tibet Autonomous Region, was promoted to a rank equivalent to lieutenant general, on the orders of the People’s Liberation Army General Political Department.

“[The decision] is made considering the special circumstances and strategic position the force is located, and its heavy tasks. [The directive] aimed to ensure a long and resting peace in Tibet,” the directive was quoted by the official Tibet Daily as saying.

As political commissar, Tang represents the Communist Party in the army unit and supervises troops’ ideology. The commissar usually serves as the second-in-command to the commanding officer in the army.

The armed police force answers to both the Central Military Commission and the State Council, China’s cabinet. The force is primarily responsible for law enforcement in peacetime, including quelling local social unrest, providing disaster relief and fire-fighting.

As the unit ensures social stability in Tibet, it must “retain absolute loyalty” to the party and “enhance its anti-terrorism capability”, the Daily said.

Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based military affairs expert, said the promotion stood in stark contrast from the PLA’s efforts to streamline its enormous military – the world’s biggest – in recent years.