The armed conflict between Chinese and Tibetan forces erupted once again along the de facto Sino-Tibetan border established in 1912, as tensions escalated in the Riwoche (Leiwuch’i) region, located 40 miles from Chamdo. Although skirmishes had never fully ceased, this crisis marked a significant flare-up. Situated along the Dza Chu (Sze Chu) River—a tributary of the Mekong River—Riwoche was home to a monastery and a Chinese military outpost under the command of General P’eng Jih-sheng, stationed in Chamdo. To the east and north of Riwoche, near the strategic Gyade region—key to the collapse of the 1914 Simla Conference—forces loyal to the Kalon Lama (Jiangba Denda) and allied Kham Tibetan tribes maintained control.
Eric Teichman’s Appointment and British Influence in the Sino-Tibetan Conflict
In late 1917, British diplomat Eric Teichman assumed the role of British observer at Dajianlu, succeeding O.R. Coales. Initially scheduled to take office in September, Teichman did not assume his post until October or November. His appointment carried significant geopolitical weight, despite the implicit nature of the Russian influence in the region. At just 33 years old, Teichman was a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience at the British Legation in Beijing. He was likely the author of the 1916 Memorandum on Tibet, demonstrating his deep involvement in border affairs.
Upon arriving in Dajianlu, Teichman quickly moved beyond mere observation. His first major dispatch, dated December 31, 1917, contained a detailed analysis of the Sino-Tibetan border situation. Unlike his predecessors, Teichman actively proposed a firm border alliance between autonomous Tibet and Sichuan Province. His actions raised concerns in British diplomatic circles, prompting repeated telegrams from his superior, Jordan, instructing him to withdraw. However, Teichman insisted that his interventions were justified, framing them as independent initiatives within his “responsible position.” This raises the question of whether his actions were an example of what modern diplomacy would call “plausible deniability.”
Political and Social Landscape of Dajianlu
When Teichman arrived in Dajianlu (modern Kangding), he found a bustling town of approximately 10,000 inhabitants, equally divided between Han Chinese and Tibetans. Many Tibetans remained loyal to the T’ussu (chief) of Chala (Jala), often referred to by Western observers as the “King of Jala.” The chief resided on the outskirts of town, overseeing a strategically significant region.
At the time, Sichuan Province had gained relative autonomy but was plagued by factional conflicts between Yunnan and Sichuan warlords. Following the dismissal of Yin Changheng, Peng Risheng had vied for power, only to lose out to Chen Xialing, a Hunanese military officer trained in Japan. Despite continuous military service since the era of Zhao Erfeng, Chen Xialing skillfully avoided entanglement in the Yunnan-Sichuan conflict that had destabilized the region since 1916.
Dajianlu also hosted numerous European Christian missions—French Roman Catholics and Protestant groups from Europe and America—who were actively expanding their influence into eastern and southern Tibet as well as northern Yunnan. While their primary goal was converting Han Chinese rather than Tibetan Buddhists, these missions were generally pro-China due to their reliance on treaties between China and Western powers. Teichman noted the presence of an American missionary, Dr. Shelton from Batang, whose attitude he found particularly disagreeable. Nonetheless, missionaries served as crucial sources of intelligence on regional affairs.
Dajianlu: A Strategic Trading Hub
Dajianlu stood at the crossroads of Chinese and Tibetan cultural and economic exchange. Travelers from Chengdu would see few Tibetans en route, yet upon arrival in Dajianlu, Tibetan influence was unmistakable. The town was vital for trade, serving as a primary hub for the Sichuan-Tibet tea trade. Silk from mainland China flowed into Tibet, while Tibetan goods such as wool, yak tails, musk, and elk horns made their way to Chinese markets. Merchants, burdened with heavy loads, moved westward through the treacherous terrain, making Dajianlu a key listening post for developments in Tibet and beyond.
Teichman’s Border Negotiation Strategy
By December 1917, Teichman had formulated a diplomatic strategy aimed at stabilizing Sino-Tibetan relations. Leveraging the influence of the “King of Jala,” Chinese officials in Dajianlu, and intelligence gathered from missionaries and market rumors, he sought to convince both Chinese and Tibetan authorities to recognize the de facto border established in 1913.
Teichman observed:
“Both sides are exhausted by the current instability. However, as the weaker party, Tibet is at greater risk, given that its autonomy largely depends on China’s ongoing civil war. While China hesitates to abandon its claims to the Salween border, and Tibet refuses to cede the Yangtze-Mekong watershed and Chamdo, they may accept the existing border as a pragmatic compromise.”
Teichman also recognized unresolved tensions along the northern Sino-Tibetan border between Lhasa-controlled territories and Chinese-administered Qinghai. He proposed demarcating a boundary between the Thirty-Nine Tribes and the Jiade region to mitigate these disputes. However, Chinese military advances in N’Da and Liwuqi northeast of Chamdo complicated this approach. His initial assumption was that Chinese forces would willingly withdraw from these contested areas, but in reality, these locations had become key Chinese military outposts.
Conclusion
Eric Teichman’s tenure at Dajianlu marked a pivotal moment in British involvement in Sino-Tibetan affairs. His diplomatic maneuvers, intelligence gathering, and proposals for border stabilization reflected Britain’s strategic interest in maintaining Tibetan autonomy while preventing direct entanglement in a broader diplomatic crisis. However, his actions—often undertaken without direct authorization—highlighted the precarious nature of British diplomacy in the region. Teichman’s legacy remains a complex and enigmatic chapter in the history of Sino-Tibetan relations, shaped by geopolitical rivalries, shifting alliances, and the ever-changing balance of power in China’s southwestern frontier.
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