China`s heir apparent challenged to solve Tibet crisis

Washington: Tibetan activists have asked Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, the heir apparent to the country`s leadership, to find a lasting solution to the Tibet problem.

In a report, the activists have challenged Xi to take "immediate steps towards a just and lasting resolution to the occupation of Tibet, or face greater international condemnation and domestic instability", a press note said. The report titled - Xi Jinping`s Tibet Challenge: 60 Years of Failed Policies in Tibet - was launched simultaneously from London, New York, Washington, and Sydney via an online press conference. "Xi Jinping is set to inherit a wide array of challenges but the occupation of Tibet poses one of the greatest threats to China`s global standing and long-term stability," said Tenzin Jigme of the International Tibet Network in the report. Xi is slated to replace Hu Jintao as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party at its upcoming 18th National Congress Nov 8 in Beijing. Tenzin Dorjee of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) at the press conference said for Xi, Tibet is his "biggest challenge" and a litmus test set to define his legacy as a leader. IANS