Halifax, Canada — "India and China never shared a border," President Dr Lobsang Sangay said while speaking at the 9th Halifax International Security Forum. He was one of the speakers at a panel session called 'India-China Relations'

Halifax, Canada — "India and China never shared a border," President Dr Lobsang Sangay said while speaking at the 9th Halifax International Security Forum. He was one of the speakers at a panel session called 'India-China Relations'

Speaking at the session, Dr Sangay reiterated the importance of Tibet due to its significance as Asia's water tower and the 3500 km border that it shares with India. He predicted that India and China's relations will destabilize and tensions will rise if the Tibet issue remains unresolved.

"India and China never shared a border, it always was between India and Tibet. It best serves India's interest to restore Tibet's status as a buffer zone between India and China," said President Dr Sangay.

Whilst talking about the Dokhlam issue, Dr Sangay suggested that this was only the beginning of China's expansionist design and not just a one off incident.

Dr Sangay also said that the Tibetan people must be made the stewards of their own land so the roof of the world can be protected.

Speaking on the importance of Tibet in today's scenario, Dr Sangay said that Tibet is very important as global weather conditions are directly influenced by Tibet's environment. He also added that even the cell phones that are made in China are made from Lithium mined from Tibet's sacred mountains.

The other speakers on the 'India-China Relations' panel were Dr Alyssa Ayres, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations, Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Director and Senior Fellow, South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute, Dr Daniel Twining, President, International Republican Institute. The session was moderated by Dr Carla Robbins, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations.

Tibet was invaded by the Communist regime in China, starting in 1949. Since that time, over 1.2 million out of six Tibetans died as a direct result of China's invasion and continued occupation of Tibet, over 6000 monasteries have been looted and destroyed— Crimes against Humanity and Genocide include murder, massacres, torture, rape, starvation, extreme deprivation, forced marches, enslavement, brutal violence, and systematic extermination.