Padma Choling
{{Short description|Chinese politician (born 1952)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Padma Choling
|native_name = {{nobold|{{bo-textonly|པདྨ་འཕྲིན་ལས་}}
{{lang|zh-Hans|白玛赤林}}}}
|image = Padma Choling.jpg
|imagesize = 150px
|caption = Padma Choling at the 2010 National People's Congress
|office = Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
|term_start = 17 March 2018
|term_end = 10 March 2023
| 1blankname = Chairman
| 1namedata = Li Zhanshu
|office1 = Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress
|term_start1 = 29 January 2013
|term_end1 = 15 January 2017
|predecessor1 = Qiangba Puncog
|successor1 =Losang Jamcan
|office2 = Chairman of Tibet
|term_start2 = 15 January 2010
|term_end2 = 29 January 2013
|1blankname2 = Party Secretary
|1namedata2 = Zhang Qingli
Chen Quanguo
|predecessor2 = Qiangba Puncog
|successor2 = Losang Jamcan
|office3 = Vice Chairman of Tibet
|term_start3 = 2003
|term_end3 = 15 January 2010
|predecessor3 = Gyamco
|successor3 = Losang Jamcan
|birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|October 1952}}
|birth_place = Qamdo, Tibet, China
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = Chinese
|party = Chinese Communist Party
|spouse =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater = Central Party School
|occupation = Politician
|profession =
|religion =
|footnotes =
|module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|order=st
|s = 白玛赤林 |t=白瑪赤林
|p = Báimǎ Chìlín
|tib = པདྨ་འཕྲིན་ལས་
|wylie = padma 'phrin-las |lhasa = pɛ́mɑ̀ ʈʰĩ́lɪ᷈ː}}
}}
Padma Choling ({{bo |t = པདྨ་འཕྲིན་ལས་ |l = pɛ́mɑ̀ ʈʰĩ́lɪ᷈ː}}; alternatively Pema Thinley, Pelma Chiley, Baima Chilin;{{Cite news |url = http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/TOE60E03U.htm |title = China chooses former soldier as new Tibet governor |agency=Reuters |date = 15 January 2010 |access-date = 30 July 2010 |last1 = Hornby |first1 = Lucy |author2 = Huang Yan |first3 = Ben |last3 = Blanchard }} {{lang-zh |s = 白玛赤林}}; born October 1952) is a Chinese retired politician of Tibetan ethnicity. He was the eighth chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), but in January 2013, was replaced by his deputy Losang Jamcan.{{cite news |url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-tibet-idUKBRE90S0DY20130129 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305204028/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-tibet-idUKBRE90S0DY20130129 |url-status = dead |archive-date = 5 March 2016 |title = China appoints new Tibet governor, hardline policies to remain |newspaper = Reuters |date = 29 January 2013 |access-date = 15 February 2013}} Later he served as the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress. As Chairman of TAR, Choling was the "most senior ethnic Tibetan in the regional government",{{Cite news |url = http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/04/beijing-s-man-in-tibet.html |title = Beijing's Man in Tibet |first=Melinda |last=Liu |date=5 April 2010 |access-date=29 July 2010 |publisher=Newsweek}} though he was subordinate to the TAR Communist Party Chief Zhang Qingli, and later his successor Chen Quanguo.
Biography
Padma Choling was born in 1952 in a farming family in Dêngqên County, Chamdo Prefecture. He joined the People's Liberation Army in Qinghai Province at 17, and served in the army for seventeen years. In the army he played basketball and mastered the Chinese language. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in October 1970. He was an official in the Tibetan regional government since December 1969,{{Cite news |url = http://en.tibetradio.cn/news-0C59J97B01I4DK4-42GK9I17E3C02AE.html |title = Qiangba Puncog and Baima Chilin's brief resumes |publisher = China Tibet Information Center |date = 15 January 2010 |access-date = 7 August 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110707051251/http://en.tibetradio.cn/news-0C59J97B01I4DK4-42GK9I17E3C02AE.html |archive-date = 7 July 2011 }} working in Xigaze and then Lhasa, rising to the vice-chairmanship of the TAR in 2003.{{Cite news |url = http://eng.tibet.cn/news/today/201003/t20100314_553571.htm |title = Feature: Fruits of development shared by every Tibetan |publisher = China Tibet Information Center |author = Mirenda |date = 14 March 2010 |access-date = 30 July 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} After his anodyne handling of an earthquake in Damxung County outside Lhasa, he was elected the chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region in 2010.{{Cite news |url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/15/content_12815376.htm |title = Tibet parliament session announces leadership changes |date = 15 January 2010 |access-date = 29 July 2010 |publisher = Xinhua |first = Yan |last = Zhou |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100118103949/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/15/content_12815376.htm |archive-date = 18 January 2010 }}
On 7 December 2020, pursuant to Executive Order 13936 signed by President Donald J. Trump Choling, being a vice chairperson of the NPC was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury. Every other Vice Chairperson of the National People's Congress were sanctioned as well, for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly."{{Cite web|title=Hong Kong-related Designations {{!}} U.S. Department of the Treasury|url=https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20201207|access-date=2021-01-19|website=home.treasury.gov}}
Chairmanship
Personally, he has been described as "stern, but... amiable" in contrast to his "soft-spoken" predecessor Qiangba Puncog. In addition to stability and ethnic harmony, he has set a goal of 12 percent GDP growth and a ¥4,000 per capita GDP for farmers and herders in the Tibet Autonomous Region.{{Cite news |url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article80630.ece |title = Tibet's new governor promises social stability, unity |date=15 January 2010 |work=The Hindu |access-date=29 July 2010}} To bring this about, he has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Commerce of the Central Government to allow it to promote trade with South Asia, including Nepal.{{Cite news |url = http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/newsrelease/significantnews/201003/20100306818673.html |title = MOFCOM and Tibet Signed Agreement of Cooperation in Providing Commercial Development Assistance|date=12 March 2010|publisher=MOFCOM|access-date=30 July 2010}} Padma is of the opinion that there is no "issue of Tibet" that the Dalai Lama says, and questions the Lama's ability to judge the situation in Tibet since he has not been in Tibet since 1959.{{Cite news |url = http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6915222.html |title=Lawmakers lash out at Dalai Lama's speech |date=11 March 2010 |publisher=People's Daily |agency=Xinhua |access-date=30 July 2010}}
On the issue of religion, Padma has said that he and the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje are "mates from the same hometown". At the 2010 National People's Congress, he announced that the choosing of the 15th Dalai Lama would abide by the "requirements of Tibetan Buddhist tradition", including approval by the government, instead of being the choice of the 14th Dalai Lama. Already, he has dismissed the Dalai Lama's choice for the 11th Panchen Lama as "invalid".{{Cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/world/asia/08tibet.html|title=No Leeway Given in Picking Dalai Lama |work=The New York Times |first=Edward |last=Wong |author-link=Edward Wong |date=7 March 2010 |access-date=30 July 2010}}
Moreover, Pema Thinley, said at a Press Conference that Gedun Choki Nyima - the child recognized by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama - is an ordinary person, and that he and his parents wanted to stay away from public attention for their own safety.[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/07/content_9550348.htm Official: Dalai-picked 'Panchen' lives normal life]
On 17 March 2018, Padma was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.{{cite web|title=十三届全国人大一次会议选举产生全国人大常委会副委员长、秘书长|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-03/17/c_1122550486.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164932/http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-03/17/c_1122550486.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 March 2018|website=Xinhua|access-date=17 March 2018}}
Padma is a member of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
In July 2022, he was appointed as the president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies.{{cite web|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202207/19/WS62d65f6ba310fd2b29e6d348.html|title=Human rights organization elects new president|first=Zekun|last=Yang|newspaper=China Daily|date=2022-07-19|access-date=2023-10-13}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{succession box | before = Qiangba Puncog | title = President of Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress Standing Committee | years = January 2013 – January 2017 | after =Losang Jamcan}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box | before = Qiangba Puncog | title = Chairman of Tibet | years = January 2010 – January 2013 | after = Losang Jamcan}}
{{succession box | before = Gyamco | title = Executive Vice Chairman of Tibet | years = 2006–2010 | after = Losang Jamcan}}
{{s-end}}
{{NPCSC Vice-Chairpersons}}
{{Regional leaders in the People's Republic of China}}
{{Tibet Autonomous Region leaders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Padma, Choling}}
Category:Council of Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress
Category:Chinese Communist Party politicians from Tibet
Category:Delegates to the 11th National People's Congress
Category:Delegates to the 12th National People's Congress
Category:Individuals sanctioned by the United States under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act
Category:Members of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Category:People's Republic of China politicians from Tibet
Category:Political office-holders in Tibet
Category:Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List
Category:Vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress