中國(guó)是一個(gè)統(tǒng)一的多民族國(guó)家，西藏人民是中華民族大家庭的重要成員。中國(guó)的疆域和歷史是中華民族共同創(chuàng)造的，藏族作為中國(guó)境內(nèi)具有悠久歷史的民族之一，為多民族統(tǒng)一國(guó)家的締造與發(fā)展，為中華民族的形成和發(fā)展作出了重要貢獻(xiàn)。大量考古、學(xué)術(shù)研究表明，藏族與漢族和其他兄弟民族自古就有血緣、語(yǔ)言和文化等方面的密切聯(lián)系，西藏地方與中國(guó)內(nèi)地的經(jīng)濟(jì)、政治、文化往來(lái)始終沒(méi)有中斷過(guò)。13世紀(jì)，元朝中央政府設(shè)立釋教總制院和宣政院，直接管理西藏地區(qū)軍政事務(wù)，正式將西藏地方納入中央行政管轄之下。此后，中央政府對(duì)西藏的管轄逐步規(guī)范化、制度化，其中包括直接掌握西藏地方行政機(jī)構(gòu)及任命西藏地方官吏的權(quán)力，駐軍戍邊，并多次在西藏清查人口戶(hù)籍等。明襲元制，實(shí)施多封眾建，貢市羈縻。清朝加強(qiáng)了對(duì)西藏地方的管理。清朝皇帝于1653年、1713年分別冊(cè)封五世達(dá)賴(lài)?yán)?、五世班禪喇嘛，自此正式確定達(dá)賴(lài)?yán)?、班禪額爾德尼的封號(hào)，以及他們?cè)谖鞑氐恼魏妥诮痰匚弧?727年，清廷設(shè)駐藏大臣，代表中央監(jiān)督西藏地方行政。1751年，清王朝正式任命七世達(dá)賴(lài)?yán)镎乒芪鞑氐胤秸?，廢除郡王掌政制度，設(shè)立由四位噶倫組成的噶廈地方政府。1793年，清廷在驅(qū)除廓爾喀入侵勢(shì)力之后，頒布了著名的《欽定藏內(nèi)善后章程二十九條》，完善了中央政府治理西藏地方的多項(xiàng)制度，明確規(guī)定達(dá)賴(lài)?yán)锏却蠡罘疝D(zhuǎn)世須經(jīng)金瓶掣簽認(rèn)定，并報(bào)請(qǐng)中央批準(zhǔn)。清朝此后的五位達(dá)賴(lài)?yán)镉腥唤?jīng)由“金瓶掣簽”認(rèn)定，有兩位由清朝皇帝批準(zhǔn)免于金瓶掣簽。清朝皇帝還曾于1706年革除六世達(dá)賴(lài)倉(cāng)央嘉措的名號(hào)，并于1904年和1910年先后兩次革除十三世達(dá)賴(lài)土登嘉措的名號(hào)。

China is a unified, multi-ethnic country, and the Tibetan people are important members of the family of the Chinese nation. China’s territory and history were created by the Chinese nation; the Tibetan group, as one of the centuries-old ethnic groups in China, has made important contributions to the crea-tion and development of this unified, multi-ethnic country and to the formation and evolvement of the Chinese nation. Arc-haeological and academic research findings show that since ancient times the Tibetan people have been closely connected with the Han and other ethnic groups in blood relationship, lan-guage, culture and other aspects, and economic, political and cultural exchanges between Tibet and inland China have never been broken off. In the 13th century the central government of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) formally incorporated Tibet into the central administration by setting up the Supreme Control Commission and the Commission for Buddhist and Tibetan Af-fairs to directly administer the military and political affairs of the Tibet region. Following this, the Yuan central government gradually standardized and institutionalized the administration of Tibet, including directly controlling the local administrative organs of Tibet and exercising the power of appointing local officials in Tibet, stationing troops there and conducting censuses. Following the Yuan system, the Ming (1368-1644) government implemented such policies as multiple enfeoffment, tributary trade and establishment of subordinated administrative divisions. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) strengthened the central government’s administration of Tibet. In 1653 and 1713 the Qing emperors granted honorific titles to the 5th Dalai Lama and the 5th Panchen Lama, officially establishing the titles of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Erdeni, and their political and religious status in Tibet. From 1727 the Qing court established the post of grand minister resident in Tibet to supervise local administration on behalf of the central authorities. In 1751 the Qing government abolished the system under which the various commandery princes held power, and formally appointed the 7th Dalai Lama to administer the local government of Tibet, and set up the Kashag (cabinet) composed of four Kalons (ministers). In 1793, after dispelling Gurkha invaders, the Qing government promulgated the Ordinance by the Imperial House Concerning Better Governance in Tibet (29 Articles), improving several systems by which the central government administered Tibet. The Ordinance stipulated that the reincarnation of Dalai Lama and other Living Buddhas had to follow the procedure of “drawing lots from the golden urn,” and the selected candidate would be subject to the approval by the central authorities of China. In the Qing Dynasty five Dalai Lamas were selected in this way, but two did not go through the lot-drawing procedure as approved by the Qing emperors. The Qing emperors deposed the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, in 1706 and the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, in 1904, and again in 1910.