Tibetan natural resources

ROGER HOWARD states that relations between Beijing and Lhasa would be defined by the region's natural resources and 'development' of the region would either strengthen or dissolve these political ties in the backdrop of ambitious Chinese plans to make Tibet an important 'strategic resources reserve base'. In an article for the Chatham House publication, The World Today, "Tibet's Natural Resources: Tension Over Treasure", he states that the extraction of Tibet's resources could not only shape the political relationship between Tibet and China but also have global repercussions giving China political leverage over countries importing those resources.

Fighting corruption in Afghanistan

Christina Larson, editor at Foreign Policy states that China's handling of minority affairs had not changed since the days of Mao although every other aspect of life in the People's Republic had changed. In a Foreign Policy op-ed “China's Minority Problem--And Ours”, she states that Beijing may not have the option of plugging its ears to minority dissatisfaction for much longer arguing that the political system is not configured to protect minorities from abuse and may lead to worsening ethnic tensions unless Beijing relooked its policies on ethnic minorities.