BBC visits heart of Tibetan resistance as showdown looms between Dalai Lama and China

8 hours ago Share Save Laura Bicker China correspondent Reporting from Aba, Sichuan province Share Save

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The BBC visited the Kirti monastery in Aba, which has long been the heart of Tibetan resistance to Beijing

Shrouded in crimson robes, prayer beads moving rhythmically past his fingers, the monk walks towards us. It is a risky decision. We are being followed by eight unidentified men. Even saying a few words to us in public could get him in trouble. But he appears willing to take the chance. "Things here are not good for us," he says quietly. This monastery in China's south-western Sichuan province has been at the centre of Tibetan resistance for decades - the world learned the name in the late 2000s as Tibetans set themselves on fire there in defiance of Chinese rule. Nearly two decades later, the Kirti monastery still worries Beijing. A police station has been built inside the main entrance. It sits alongside a small dark room full of prayer wheels which squeak as they spin. Nests of surveillance cameras on thick steel poles surround the compound, scanning every corner. "They do not have a good heart; everyone can see it," the monk adds. Then comes a warning. "Be careful, people are watching you." As the men tailing us come running, the monk walks away.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Prayer wheels depict rich murals from the Buddha's life inside the monastery

"They" are the Communist Party of China, which has now governed more than six million Tibetans for almost 75 years, ever since it annexed the region in 1950. China has invested heavily in the region, building new roads and railways to boost tourism and integrate it with the rest of the country. Tibetans who have fled say economic development also brought more troops and officials, chipping away at their faith and freedoms. Beijing views Tibet as an integral part of China. It has labelled Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as a separatist, and those who display his image or offer him public support could end up behind bars. Still, some in Aba, or Ngaba in Tibetan, which is home to the Kirti monastery, have gone to extreme measures to challenge these restrictions. The town sits outside what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), created in 1965, comprising about half of the Tibetan plateau. But millions of Tibetans live outside of TAR - and consider the rest as part of their homeland. Aba has long played a crucial role. Protests erupted here during the Tibet-wide uprising of 2008 after, by some accounts, a monk held up a photo of the Dalai Lama inside the Kirti monastery. It eventually escalated into a riot and Chinese troops opened fire. At least 18 Tibetans were killed in this tiny town. As Tibet rose up in protest, it often turned into violent clashes with Chinese paramilitary. Beijing claims 22 people died, while Tibetan groups in exile put the number at around 200. In the years that followed there were more than 150 self-immolations calling for the return of the Dalai Lama - most of them happened in or around Aba. It earned the main street a grim moniker: Martyr's row. China has cracked down harder since, making it nearly impossible to determine what is happening in Tibet or Tibetan areas. The information that does emerge comes from those who have fled abroad, or the government-in-exile in India.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Tibetan monasteries are closely surveilled because of the influence they still wield

To find out a little more, we returned to the monastery the next day before dawn. We snuck past our minders and hiked our way back to Aba for the morning prayers. The monks gathered in their yellow hats, a symbol of the Gelug school of Buddhism. Low sonorous chanting resonated through the hall as ritual smoke lingered in the still, humid air. Around 30 local men and women, most in traditional Tibetan long-sleeved jackets, sat cross-legged until a small bell chimed to end the prayer. "The Chinese government has poisoned the air in Tibet. It is not a good government," one monk told us. "We Tibetans are denied basic human rights. The Chinese government continues to oppress and persecute us. It is not a government that serves the people." He gave no details, and our conversations were brief to avoid detection. Still, it is rare to hear these voices. The question of Tibet's future has taken on urgency with the Dalai Lama turning 90 this week. Hundreds of followers have been gathering in the Indian town of Dharamshala to honour him. He announced the much-anticipated succession plan on Wednesday, reaffirming what he has said before: the next Dalai Lama would be chosen after his death. Tibetans everywhere have reacted - with relief, doubt or anxiety - but not those in the Dalai Lama's homeland, where even the whisper of his name is forbidden. Beijing has spoken loud and clear: the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama will be in China, and approved by the Chinese Communist Party. Tibet, however, has been silent. "That's just the way it is," the monk told us. "That's the reality."

Two worlds under one sky

The road to Aba winds slowly for nearly 500km (300 miles) from the Sichuan capital of Chengdu. It passes through the snow-packed peaks of Siguniang Mountain before it reaches the rolling grassland at the edge of the Himalayan plateau.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC En route to Aba on the edge of the Tibetan plateau...

Xiqing Wang/ BBC where the high-altitude sunlight is particularly harsh

The gold, sloping rooftops of Buddhist temples shimmer every few miles as they catch especially sharp sunlight. This is the roof of the world where traffic gives way to yak herders on horseback whistling to reluctant, grunting cattle, as eagles circle above. There are two worlds underneath this Himalayan sky, where heritage and faith have collided with the Party's demand for unity and control. China has long maintained that Tibetans are free to practise their faith. But that faith is also the source of a centuries-old identity, which human rights groups say Beijing is slowly eroding. They claim that countless Tibetans have been detained for staging peaceful protests, promoting the Tibetan language, or even possessing a portrait of the Dalai Lama. Many Tibetans, inlcuding some we spoke to within the Kirti monastery, are concerned about new laws governing the education of Tibetan children. All under-18s must now attend Chinese state-run schools and learn Mandarin. They cannot study Buddhist scriptures in a monastery class until they are 18 years old - and they must "love the country and the religion and follow national laws and regulations". This is a huge change for a community where monks were often recruited as children, and monasteries doubled up as schools for most boys.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The Chinese national flag above the Kirti monastery: the Party's ambitions have clashed with the Tibetan faith, which underpins their identity

"One of the nearby Buddhist institutions was torn down by the government a few months ago," a monk in his 60s told us in Aba, from under an umbrella as he walked to prayers in the rain. "It was a preaching school," he added, becoming emotional. The new rules follow a 2021 order for all schools in Tibetan areas, including kindergartens, to teach in the Chinese language. Beijing says this gives Tibetan children a better shot at jobs in a country where the main language is Mandarin. But such regulations could have a "profound effect" on the future of Tibetan Buddhism, according to renowned scholar Robert Barnett. "We are moving to a scenario of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping having total control - towards an era of little information getting into Tibet, little Tibetan language being shared," Mr Barnett says. "Schooling will almost entirely be about Chinese festivals, Chinese virtues, advanced Chinese traditional culture. We are looking at the complete management of intellectual input." The road to Aba shows off the money Beijing has pumped into this remote corner of the world. A new high-speed railway line hugs the hills linking Sichuan to other provinces on the plateau. In Aba, the usual high-street shop fronts selling monks' robes and bundles of incense are joined by new hotels, cafes and restaurants to entice tourists.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Aba's ancient monasteries are now drawing more Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists arrive in their branded hiking gear and stand amazed as the local faithful prostrate themselves on wooden blocks at the entrance to Buddhist temples. "How do they get anything done all day?" one tourist wonders aloud. Others turn the prayer wheels excitedly and ask about the rich, colourful murals depicting scenes from the Buddha's life. A party slogan written on the roadside boasts that "people of all ethnic groups are united as closely as seeds in a pomegranate". But it's hard to miss the pervasive surveillance. A hotel check-in requires facial recognition. Even buying petrol requires several forms of identification which are shown to high-definition cameras. China has long controlled what information its citizens have access to - but in Tibetan areas, the grip is even tighter. Tibetans, Mr Barnett says, are "locked off from the outside world".

The 'right' successor

It's hard to say how many of them know about the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday - broadcast to the world, it was censored in China. Living in exile in India since 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama has advocated for more autonomy, rather than full independence, for his homeland. Beijing believes he "has no right to represent the Tibetan people". He handed over political authority in 2011 to a government-in-exile chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally - and that government has had back-channel talks this year with China about the succession plan, but it's unclear if they have progressed. The Dalai Lama has previously suggested that his successor would be from "the free world", that is, outside China. On Wednesday, he said "no-one else has any authority to interfere". This sets the stage for a confrontation with Beijing, which has said the process should "follow religious rituals and historical customs, and be handled in accordance with national laws and regulations".

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Tibetans in China have very restricted access to information - especially if it has to do with the Dalai Lama

Beijing is already doing the groundwork to convince the Tibetans, Mr Barnett says. "There is already a huge propaganda apparatus in place. The Party has been sending teams to offices, schools and villages to teach people about the 'new regulations' for choosing a Dalai Lama." When the Panchen Lama, the second highest authority in Tibetan Buddhism, died in 1989, the Dalai Lama identified a successor to that post in Tibet. But the child disappeared. Beijing was accused of kidnapping him, although it insists that boy, now an adult, is safe. It then approved a different Panchen Lama, who Tibetans outside China do not recognise. If there are two Dalai Lamas, it could become a test of China's powers of persuasion. Which one will the world recognise? More important, would most Tibetans in China even know of the other Dalai Lama? China wants a credible successor - but perhaps no-one too credible. Because, Mr Barnett says, Beijing "wants to turn the lion of Tibetan culture into a poodle". "It wants to remove things it perceives as risky and replace them with things it believes Tibetans ought to be thinking about; patriotism, loyalty, fealty. They like the singing and dancing – the Disney version of Tibetan culture." "We don't know how much will survive," Mr Barnett concludes.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Many Tibetans believe their way of life is being eroded by Chinese control...

Xiqing Wang/ BBC despite all their efforts to hold on to it

Starmer admits failing to engage ahead of welfare U-turns

35 minutes ago Share Save Sam Francis Political reporter Share Save

BBC

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he "did not engage" properly with Labour MPs, leading to a series of damaging U-turns on his flagship welfare reforms. On Tuesday, the government avoided defeat on its proposals to overhaul disability benefits by offering late concessions to Labour MPs threatening to rebel. The prime minister said he took responsibility for the episode, admitting it had been a "tough" few days but insisting the government would "come through this stronger" after a period of reflection. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking, Sir Keir said he "did not get that process right" and "did not engage in the way we should have done".

The prime minister's comments come after a chaotic few days in Westminster, which saw Labour MPs revolt over proposed changes to the Personal Independence Payment (Pip). The government had initially planned to tighten eligibility criteria, but faced mounting opposition from within its own ranks. Despite holding a commanding majority, Sir Keir's administration appeared caught off guard by the scale of the backlash. More than 120 Labour MPs threatened to vote against the bill, prompting a series of last-minute concessions. Ahead of Tuesday's vote, ministers had already watered down their plans once by reversing some cuts to universal credit and protecting current Pip claimants from stricter eligibility rules. However some Labour MPs were still concerned the new criteria for claiming Pip would come into force before the recommendations of a review could be implemented. Fearing a humiliating defeat, the government announced a further U-turn, saying it would not change Pip rules until it had time to consider the review's conclusions. The 11th hour changes leave the government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill gutted of its most significant measures. Speaking to Nick Robinson in a pre-planned interview to mark a year in office, Sir Keir admitted he "didn't get that process right". "We didn't engage in the way we should have done." He said that "Labour politicians come into public life because they care deeply", especially about issues like disability benefits. Sir Keir insisted he remained committed to reforming the welfare system. "There is a very, very strong agreement in the Labour Party that we do need to reform the system," he said. "But I'm not one of these ideological thinkers. I'm a pragmatist."

The episode has raised questions about Sir Keir's authority and the coherence of his policy agenda. It has also put pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending plans, as potential savings of around £5bn will now be delayed or lost entirely. In the same interview Sir Keir insisted Reeves would remain his chancellor into the next election" dismissing talk of a rift sparked by footage of her crying during Prime Minister's Questions. The prime minister had refused to say whether Reeves would remain in her job until the next election in front of MPs in the Commons, during a session in which the chancellor wiped away tears as she sat behind him. But later Sir Keir told the BBC he worked "in lockstep" with Reeves and she was "doing an excellent job as chancellor". After PMQs, Reeves' spokesperson said she had been dealing with a "personal matter" and Sir Keir insisted her tears had "nothing to do with politics".

Despite the turmoil, Sir Keir said he "would not swap a single day of the last year" for life on the opposition benches. "I came into politics to change lives, after nine long years in opposition," he said. Sir Keir said he was "really proud of what we've achieved because we have changed the lives of people".

Why the world's superyachts are getting bigger and bigger

6 hours ago Share Save Francesca Marchese Business reporter Share Save

Amer Superyachts are getting ever larger as buyers want more space

Business is booming in the luxury world of superyachts, with the super-rich wanting ever bigger floating palaces. Paulo Trifirò knows a thing or two about superyachts – she and her husband have owned more than a dozen over the years. The Italian couple, who have made their fortune in law, and continue to run a global legal firm, like to sail around the world in the height of luxury. Ms Trifirò describes their boats, which can be more than 50m (164ft) long, as being like floating five-star hotels. And she likes to get involved in the design process. One criteria she insists upon is that the crew have ample kitchen space, so they can cook gourmet meals for up to 15 people. Ms Trifirò explains her reasoning: "If you are used to eating well, not everywhere [in the world] are there restaurants good enough." She also says that the large size of the vessels is reassuring. "Whether it's sailing alongside humpback whales, or receiving greetings by fishermen on the Fiji islands, my boats allow me to sail… with strength and safety."

Paulo Trifirò Superyacht owner Paulo Trifirò likes to pilot the boats herself

But what exactly is a superyacht? While there is no official global classification, industry website and magazine Boat International describes one as "a luxury, privately-owned yacht that measures 24 metres or more in length, and is professionally crewed". The magazine says that global sales boomed after Covid. With the super rich suddenly unable to go to luxury hotels, as they were all closed during the pandemic, many switched to superyachts instead. As a result, 1,024 new superyachts were built or on order around the world in 2022, a 25% jump from 2021, and a then all-time high, according to Boat International's figures. This then increased to 1,203 in 2023, another new record. "After the pandemic people considered their super yachts as safe islands both for themselves and their relatives," says Barbara Armerio who co-owns Italian family-run superyacht builder Amer. She adds that billionaires cherished their personal space and independence even more. "They asked for bigger windows, more space outside, and to be able to touch the seawater more easily".

While the overall number of superyachts being built or ordered is expected to fall slightly this year to 1,138, they are getting bigger on average, Boat International's data also shows. So far this year, 61 boats of 76m or more in length are being made, up from 55 in 2024. And in the 46m to 60m grouping, numbers have increased to 175 from 159. Meanwhile, sales of the smallest superyachts, between 24m and 27m are down to 286 from 321. "It's clear that some of those new clients the industry found in the Covid-19 years are trading up," says Ms Armerio. Boat International's editor in chief Stewart Campbell says that whatever size superyacht people buy "designers and naval architects are getting very clever at packing ever more volume into hulls, giving owners lots more space on board". As a result, today's superyacht's increasingly have everything from helipads to cinemas, gyms, beauty salons, and saunas.

Getty Images Koru, the retro-styled superyacht owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is reported to have cost more than $500m to build

As you'd imagine, prices are extremely high. You can pay €36m ($41m; £30m) for a new smaller boat, up to €295m for a 105m-long vessel with all the optional extras. Half of all superyachts continue to be built in Italy, with its yards currently working on a combined length of 22,195m, or approximately 22km (13 miles), of boats. Turkey is in second place, followed by the Netherlands, the UK, Taiwan, Germany, the US and China. Back in 2023, Italian shipbuilders earned €8.3bn from making superyachts, a record high. Ms Armerio says her shipyard "produces only a few high-grade" superyachts per year, "masterpieces with unique details". She adds that Italian yacht-makers like hers are supported by a solid network of local artisans. "In Italy we find everything we need." Ms Armerio points to being able to drive to Tuscany's stone quarries from her company's base on the coast of Liguria if she needs to order marble.

Barbara Armerio Italian shipbuilder Barbara Armerio says buyers want ever more luxury

Trump calls on US central bank head to quit immediately

4 hours ago Share Save Peter Hoskins Business reporter, BBC News Reporting from Singapore Share Save

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US President Donald Trump has called for the chair of the Federal Reserve to quit right away, in an escalation of his attacks on Jerome Powell. "'Too Late' should resign immediately!!!", Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. He also included a link to a news article about a US federal housing regulator calling for Mr Powell to be investigated over his testimony about renovations to the central bank's Washington headquarters. Trump nominated Mr Powell to be the Fed chair during his first term. Since then, he has repeatedly criticised him for not cutting interest rates but it is unclear whether the president has the authority to remove him from the post.

Despite the president's continued criticism of Mr Powell, he said earlier this year that had "no intention of firing him". Trump wants the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates to help boost economic growth. Mr Powell said on Tuesday that the Fed would have cut rates already had it not been for the impact of Trump's tariff policies. When asked during a meeting of central bankers in Portugal whether US rates would have been cut again this year if the administration had not announced its plan to sharply increase tariffs on countries around the world Mr Powell responded, "I think that's right." The US Federal Reserve declined to comment about Trump's remarks when contacted by the BBC. Mr Powell was renominated to the position by then-President Joe Biden and his current term is set to end in May 2026. Ahead of Trump's return to power at the start of this year, Mr Powell said he would not step down if the president asked him to and that it is "not permitted under law" for the White House to force him out. Board members of independent federal agencies like the Federal Reserve can only be forced out before their terms expire "for cause," according to a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in 1935. However, Trump has often challenged political norms, including firing some independent regulators, actions that have been contested in court.

On Wednesday, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, who has previously strongly criticised Mr Powell, called for him to be investigated. "I am asking Congress to investigate Chairman Jerome Powell, his political bias, and his deceptive Senate testimony, which is enough to be removed 'for cause'," he posted on X. Last week, Mr Powell told the Senate that reports about soaring costs and expensive features at the Fed's headquarters were "misleading and inaccurate in many, many respects."