Raidi ( zh, s=热地; ; also written Ragdi; August 1938 – 6 June 2025) was a
Tibetan politician of the People's Republic of China. He served as a vice chairman of the
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) is the permanent body of the National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature of the People's Republic of China. It exercises the powers of the NPC when it is not in s ...
from 2003 to 2008, and was the highest-ranking Tibetan in the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
Biography
He was a native of
Biru County
Biru County (; zh, s=比如县) is the most populated county within Nagqu of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The name means "female yak". Either of the following pronunciations can be considered correct in Standard Tibetan: ìru~ ìru(co ...
,
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...
. Born in August 1938, he was a graduate of the
Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party
The Central Party School is a higher education institution that trains Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadres. It is located in Haidian, Beijing, close to Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace.
The current president is Chen Xi, a former member ...
, and joined the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
(CCP) in October 1961.
He was formerly a Buddhist monk.
Between 1966 and 1968, Raidi was employed by the Public Prosecution and Law Enforcement Commission of the Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
From 1968 to 1972, he held the position of officer and deputy chairman of the People's Security Group under the Nagqu Regional Revolutionary Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region. He held the position of Secretary of the Nagqu Prefecture CCP Committee from 1972 until 1975.
He occupied numerous roles, including Deputy Secretary of the
Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Disciplinary Commissioner of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Deputy Director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Revolutionary Committee, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress, Chairman of the
Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and President of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party School.
From 1993 to 1994, he held the positions of Deputy Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee, Director of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Congress, and Party Secretary. From 1994 until 2003, he held the position of Standing Deputy Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee and served as the Director of the Standing Committee of the Party Group Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region. He held the position of
from March 2003 until March 2008.
On 16 September 2019, he received the national honorary designation of "Outstanding Contributor to Ethnic Unity".
Raidi interacted with foreign journalists multiple times during his political career, discussing issues such as tourism in Tibet, the status of the
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
,
the
Karmapa Lama, and the
disappearance of the Panchen Lama. He was a fierce critic of "splitism", or
Tibetan nationalism, and often criticized claims that Tibetans were oppressed by the Chinese government.
He died in Beijing on 6 June 2025, at the age of 86.
References
External links
Raidi biography @ China Vitae, the web's largest online database of China VIPs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raidi
1938 births
2025 deaths
Alternates of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party alumni
Chairmen of the CPPCC Tibet Autonomous Region Committee
Chinese Communist Party politicians from Tibet
Delegates to the 8th National People's Congress
Delegates to the 9th National People's Congress
Members of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress
People from Nagqu
People's Republic of China politicians from Tibet
Political office-holders in Tibet
Tibetan politicians
Vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress