Article | November 6, 2026
ICT launches new report calling for restoration of U.S.-funded Tibetan broadcasting to counter Chinese propaganda, censorship, and growing information vacuum in Tibet
ICT report titled “Unsilenced Voice: Why American Support for Tibetan Broadcasting Is Essential” urges restoration of Tibetan-language services of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, protection of shortwave broadcasting and greater investment in tools to overcome Chinese censorship
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) today launched a new report, “Unsilenced Voice: Why American Support for Tibetan Broadcasting Is Essential,” calling on the U.S. government to fully restore and strengthen the Tibetan-language broadcasting services of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) as critical sources of independent information for Tibetans in Tibet and as vital tools for countering the Chinese government’s extensive censorship and propaganda, both in Tibet and globally.
“The disruptions to the Tibetan-language services of VOA and RFA have created a widening information vacuum in Tibet at a time when Chinese state media is expanding its Tibetan-language programming,” said Tencho Gyatso, President, International Campaign for Tibet. “Restoring these services is essential both to ensuring Tibetans in Tibet have access to independent, uncensored news and enabling the flow of information out of Tibet for U.S. policymakers, journalists, rights advocates, and the international community,” she added.
ICT urged the U.S. government to restore Tibetan-language services to full operational capacity; maintain flagship shortwave broadcasting as a resilient means of reaching audiences in heavily censored and remote areas; and invest in censorship-circumvention technologies and modern digital distribution. ICT also recommended stronger efforts to counter political censorship embedded in artificial intelligence systems originating from China, with greater emphasis on reporting about freedom of expression and human rights in Tibet and prioritization of Tibetan services in U.S. public diplomacy or any future reforms of federally funded international media.
Beginning in March 2025, the Tibetan-language broadcasting services underwent a major disruption: VOA’s Tibetan service went offline in mid-March, while RFA’s Tibetan-language shortwave transmissions, critical for reaching audiences in remote and heavily censored areas, continued briefly before it was taken offline in early April 2025. The resulting loss of both services’ flagship shortwave radio transmissions created an information vacuum that Chinese state media promptly sought to fill through expanded Tibetan-language programming.
Tibetans inside Tibet have described the loss poignantly as “missing their morning tea,” a metaphor that conveys the sudden absence of daily access to information in their native language from trusted sources amid an environment of heavy surveillance and censorship. This disruption risks transforming Tibet into an even deeper information “black box,” further limiting external visibility into human rights conditions, the security landscape, cultural policies, environmental changes and governance realities across the Tibetan Plateau.
U.S. international broadcasting through the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) exemplifies a high-impact, low-cost instrument of public diplomacy, particularly in heavily censored regions like Tibet. While overall federal spending faces scrutiny, USAGM’s budget remains modest relative to defense or broader foreign operations. In comparison, China’s external propaganda efforts, including paid media inserts, international broadcasting, digital influence operations, and content distribution, is estimated to be in the range of $7-10 billion per year, according to independent estimates.
Against this disparity in resources, Tibetan-language broadcasting represents a comparatively cost-effective means of sustaining access to independent information, countering authoritarian information control, and advancing broader U.S. efforts to address authoritarian influence. This modest U.S. investment yields high strategic returns. In Tibet, where Chinese authorities enforce near-total information control, even limited independent programming provides highly motivated listeners with rare access to uncensored news, external perspectives, and Tibetan-language content that supports cultural and linguistic preservation. The returns compound through soft power as independent reporting informs diaspora communities, shapes global opinion, and provides U.S. policymakers with ground-truth insights otherwise inaccessible due to Beijing’s information blackout.
ICT recommendations to the U.S. government
- Restore Tibetan-language services to full operational capacity, including adequate staffing and broadcasting hours to ensure consistent, high-quality programming reaches audiences inside Tibet and the diaspora.
- Invest in advanced circumvention tools and technologies to help Tibetan audiences bypass China’s Great Firewall and other forms of censorship, enabling secure access to uncensored news and information.
- Actively resist and counteract political censorship embedded in Chinese-originating large language models by promoting transparency, independent evaluation, and the widespread adoption of uncensored alternatives, thereby safeguarding free access to accurate information and preventing the global spread of AI-driven Chinese propaganda narratives.
- Prioritize traditional and social media communications which promote freedom of expression and human rights in Tibet under Chinese Communist Party rule, with focused reporting on cultural preservation, religious freedom, environmental issues, security conditions, and political and governance developments.
- Prioritize Tibetan services within U.S. public diplomacy efforts and any structural reforms of federally funded international media organizations.
