Title in Chinese: 中央西藏工作协调小组 (zhōngyāng xīzàng gōngzuò xiétiáo xiǎozǔ)
Also known as: Small Group on Tibet; Leading Group on Tibetan Affairs
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) main body for coordinating policies on Tibet is known variously as the “Central Tibet Work Coordination Group” (CTWCG), the “Small Group on Tibet”, the “Leading Group on Tibetan Affairs” or the “Central Coordination Group on the Struggle Against the Dalai Clique.” Very little about the group or its workings is publicly known, and its existence is only occasionally and obliquely referenced to in China’s official press.
As a “Leading Small Group” (LSG), it is an informal body established to advise Politburo members on policy and to coordinate implementation of policy decisions. As such, it has have considerable influence on the policy-making process because it represents the consensus of a broad spectrum of interests of leading members of state, party and military, represented by their respective offices. The seniority of the group’s members indicates that it acts as a conduit through which existing policies are reviewed and refined prior to their implementation in Tibet. The more important a policy matter regarding Tibet, the more likely that it will be made by the top leadership supported by the CTWCG.
The United Front Work Department (UFWD) deals directly with Tibetan affairs, as well as being responsible for developing religious management policies together with the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). These policies are carried out with support from the “patriotic religious associations”, particularly the Buddhist Association of China (BAC). Concerning policy implementation and coordination, the CTWCG has the upper hand. In terms of input to the most important Tibet policy matters, the CTWCG is more important and powerful than the ministries.
The CTWCG members are typically drawn from the Central Committee’s Politburo, and its head is usually the official holding chairmanship of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
CPPCC Chair Heads Xinjiang, Tibet Affairs Groups, SCMP (2013-06-04)
Tibet and the new Chinese leadership, CTA (2013-11-08)
How leading small groups help Xi Jinping and other party leaders exert power, SCMP (2014-01-20)
2015 Report on International Religious Freedom US Department of State (2016-08-10)
