China has reportedly pressured Nepal to restrict an upcoming international academic conference on Tibetan studies in Kathmandu, according to a report by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). The development comes just weeks after Beijing's new 'Ethnic Unity and Progress Law' came into force, raising alarm among scholars and rights advocates over the reach of China's transnational influence.

Key Developments

The 17th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) is scheduled to take place in Kathmandu from 23 August to 29 August. According to the ICT report, Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming met on 21 July, during which Zhang raised concerns about anticipated criticism of China at the event.

Citing a senior Nepalese foreign ministry official, the Kathmandu Post reported on 22 July that the Chinese Ambassador urged Nepalese officials to ensure that 'some individuals could speak against China and in support of Tibet' did not happen at the seminar. The ICT report notes there was no formal diplomatic protest or written demand for cancellation.

CTA Withdraws Researchers to Protect the Conference

The Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has decided not to send its researchers to the seminar in an official capacity. According to reports, the decision was taken to 'avoid jeopardising the conference and to ease Chinese pressure on Nepal.' The ICT report directly links this withdrawal to Beijing's diplomatic intervention.

What the ICT Report Says

Tencho Gyatso, President of the ICT, said the incident signals a wider and more systematic effort by Beijing. 'The significance of this incident extends well beyond a single academic conference. Beijing is institutionalising a system in which diplomacy, repressive domestic legislation implemented outside China's borders, and state-directed academic scholarship reinforce one another,' she said.

Gyatso further stated that the new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, combined with China's efforts to recast Tibetology as a vehicle for 'forging a strong sense of the Chinese national community,' is 'designed to advance the forced assimilation of Tibetans while reshaping international understanding of Tibet.'

China's Participation and Academic Concerns

The ICT report also flagged that China is reportedly sending delegates from the state-controlled China Tibetology Research Centre to the same independent academic seminar. The report described this as 'a cause of major concern,' noting that the centre has been mandated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to advance a narrative aligned with Beijing's forced assimilation agenda.

Nepal's position is particularly sensitive given that a significant portion of its northern population bordering Tibet shares cultural and religious traditions with Tibetan people, and the country hosts a substantial Tibetan refugee community.

Broader Pattern of Transnational Pressure

According to the ICT, Beijing's intervention over the IATS seminar fits a broader pattern of attempts to control all international discourse on Tibet. The report characterised China's actions as an expansion of its 'campaign of transnational repression into academic discourse.' The ICT has called on global governments and academic institutions to recognise this pattern and demand the repeal of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.

With the seminar still weeks away, it remains to be seen whether Nepal will impose any conditions on participants — and whether other delegations adjust their participation in response to the diplomatic pressure.