Many of the Han Chinese who are in Tibet regard themselves as idealistic
volunteers helping to save a culture that needs to be modernized. In fact, they think that they are risking their lives when they go to Tibet based on a belief that high altitudes make your
lungs expand and has an adverse effect on the
heart.
Here are some statistics about pre-1951 Tibet:
Life expectancy was thirty-six years
95 percent of Tibetans were illiterate;
95 percent of the population was hereditary serfs and slaves owned by monasteries and nobles.
It is because of the above facts that the Chinese believe that they are only helping Tibet. They often compare the occupation to the liberation of slaves in American history.
Another common comparison is to the treatment of Native Americans during the Western expansion. I feel as though I am not overstepping to say that if most North Americans could go back into history, they would change the horrific way we have treated those native to our regions. However, to the Chinese, where modernization has come late most regard the Tibetan lifestyle conducive to ignorance and hardship. This is not hard to believe as most Chinese are one generation away from abject poverty. How can we get the Chinese to learn from our mistakes when we come from two such polarized backgrounds?
The commitment to Tibet is backed up financially. In 1996 China spent about $600 million in Tibet. In that same year the United States spent about $800 million for aid to the entire continent of Africa. This money went to build roads, telephones and schools (before 1951 there were no public schools).
North Americans see Tibet as an idealistic ground for spiritual enlightenment, but Chinese see the primitive culture that needs to modernize and get into step with the rest of the world. For different opinions on this, please see:
Free Tibet
The REAL story of the "Occupation of Tibet"
Why DMan is wrong about Tibet
Resolutions and Acts of Congress in re: Tibet
Tibet's contributions to Sins of the World