The first plenary session of the seventh congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was held in Lhasa between 18 and 22 October 2006 during which the 600 deputies present confirmed the appointment of Zhang Qingli as TAR Party Secretary, the highest position of authority in the province. He was initially appointed acting Party Secretary, shadowing the previous incumbent, Yang Chuantang, in November 2005, and took on full responsibility for the role when Yang was appointed vice-minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (at ministerial level) in June 2006. Formal confirmation of his appointment at the congress can be seen as rubber-stamping a decision made in by the central party authorities in Beijing. His former postings in Gansu and Xinjiang, provided Zhang with credentials in security and propaganda issues in sensitive minority areas that, a year after his arrival in the TAR, appear to have commended him for his promotion. Zhang Qingli and Yang Chuantang's promotion, together with the appointment of Sita (alt: Sithar, Setar) as head of the United Front's seventh bureau, which deals with Tibetan affairs, and the first Tibetan ever as deputy head of the central United Front Department/Ministry (http://www.tibetinfonet.net/content/update/31), are personnel changes that reflect yet another attempt by the CPC Central Committee to optimize the implementation of their Tibet policies.

Zhang Qingli was born in Dongping, Shandong Province, in January 1951. After becoming a party member in February 1973, he rose to be deputy chief of the local county party committee before moving to Beijing in January 1979 and become department vice head of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL), which was headed by Hu Jintao, between 1982 and 1985. He left in 1986, and returned to Shandong to become vice mayor of Dongying City and deputy secretary of the city's party committee. Following several promotions, he then moved to Gansu province in August 1998 where he held a number of posts, including head of the propaganda department of the province party committee and party chief of Lanzhou, Gansu's capital. Between October 1999 and March 2005, Zhang held a series of key positions in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, such as Commander of the paramilitary Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Deputy Secretary of the party committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Vice Chairman of the provincial government. Zhang is also a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee and a deputy in the 10th National People's Congress.

Beijing appointed Zhang acting party secretary of the TAR in November 2005. One of his first moves was to tour many government and party units across the TAR, which he did accompanied by the feared former Executive Deputy Secretary of the TAR party Committee, Ragdi (Chin: Raidi) who once oversaw most of the transfers and promotions of Tibetans in the TAR (1). Following Tibetan demonstrations of religious fervour and loyalty to the Dalai Lama in early 2006, in particular numerous occurrences of fur burning and the destruction of a statue of Dorje Shugden in March 2006 at Ganden Monastery, the TAR Party Committee convened a conference of leading regional cadres of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 15 and 16 May 2006 (see: http://www.tibetinfonet.net/content/update/20). At this forum, Zhang Qingli appealed to local authorities to remain vigilant of the "international anti-China forces" and the "Dalai clique" and let the law "enter into the heads of the monks and nuns".

Since Zhang's promotion to full-fledged secretary of the TAR party committee on 30 May 2006, there have been criticisms of the lack of political awareness and vigilance, as well as the alleged persistence of lax attitudes, among party and administration TAR officials. Sources see indications that the regions of Chamdo and Ngari are seen as particularly problematic, leading to a number of reshuffles among the local procuratorial, judicial and public security organs. Some Tibetans in the United Front Department and in the Propaganda Department were removed, suggesting dissatisfaction with these organizations' work among their designated target audiences in the region. Other appointments may suggest a more security-conscious approach. Gompo Tashi (Chin: Gongbao Zhashi) for instance, who sources identify as close to Ragdi, was promoted from Party Secretary of Lhasa to head the TAR United Front. The Mayor of Lhasa, Norbu Thondup (Chin: Lobu Dunzhu) from Lhoka who was engaged in public security work for 24 years, was promoted to the Higher People's Court. Norbu Thondup was the one chosen to publicly denounce the 14 March 2006 Dorje Shugden incident at Ganden Monastery.

The Party Congress defined its top priorities as: sustaining annual economic growth at more than 12 percent over the next five years, making significant progress in infrastructure development, while maintaining social stability, and keeping separatist activities in check. Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the regional government, also said that "education on patriotism will be promoted among the region's temples to ensure that religious leaders love their country".

1: There are, however, no indications that this suggests that Ragdi is regaining influence in the TAR. Although Ragdi would have been expected to be a guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the Golmud Lhasa railway on 01 July 2006, his long retired adversary, Yin Fatang, took his place, and Ragdi was not even present.