NEW DELHI -- The 50th anniversary of China's annexation of Tibet passed unnoticed by the world, reflecting the awe and respect that a rising China inspires and helplessness over the plight of the Tibetans. China's rise in an Asia at a time when Russia has declined, Japan has lost its economic sheen, ASEAN has slid into new woes and India remains mired in internal and subcontinental troubles has spurred exaggerated notions about Chinese potentialities. The general belief is that China's power will continue to grow in a linear manner.
Such thinking has not only hampered assessments of China's intentions and capabilities, but in the past decade has also encouraged the use of a more lenient set of international standards to measure Beijing's track record on human rights, trade and weapons proliferation. In the process, Tibet has fallen off the international political agenda.
Those projecting the future from current trends are not taking into account the fact that once the communist regime in Beijing falls, China will be a messy state. The collapse of communism could happen sooner than many expect. Far from a dead issue, Tibet will remain China's Achilles heel.