Battle of Chamdo
| Battle of Chamdo | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Tibet
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 China
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (POW)
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Mao Zedong Liu Bocheng Zhang Guohua Fan Ming
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| Strength | |||||||||
| Tibetan Army: 8,500 | People's Liberation Army: 40,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 180 killed or wounded | 114 killed or wounded | ||||||||
The Battle of Chamdo (Chinese: 昌都战役), or known officially in China as the Liberation of Chamdo (Chinese: 解放昌都), was a military campaign by the People's Republic of China (PRC) against a de facto independent Tibet in Chamdo after months of failed negotiations. The campaign aimed to capture the Tibetan army in Chamdo, demoralize the Lhasa government and to most importantly exert pressure to get Tibetan representatives to agree to negotiations in Beijing and sign terms recognizing China's sovereignty over Tibet. The campaign resulted in the capture of Chamdo and further negotiations between the PRC and Tibetan representatives that eventually resulted in the incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China.
On 7 March 1950, a Tibetan government delegation arrived in Kalimpong to open a dialogue with the newly declared PRC and aimed to secure assurances that the PRC would respect Tibet's “territorial integrity”, among other things. The dialogue was delayed by a debate between the Tibetan, India, Britain and the PRC delegation over the location of the talks. Tibet favored Singapore or British Hong Kong, Britain favored New Delhi, India, and the PRC favored Beijing, but India and Britain preferred no talks at all.
The Tibetan delegation eventually met with the PRC’s ambassador General Yuan Zhongxian in Delhi on September 16, 1950. Yuan communicated a 3-point proposal that Tibet be regarded as part of China, that China be responsible for Tibet’s defense, and that China was responsible for Tibet’s trade and foreign relations. Acceptance would lead to peaceful "liberation", or otherwise war. The Tibetans undertook to maintain the relationship between China and Tibet as one of preceptor and patron, and their head delegate Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa, on September 19, recommended cooperation, with some stipulations about implementation.
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