evidence: Tibet is a large, sparsely populated area which accounts for near one-eighth (if only Tibet autonomous region is included) or more than one-fifth (if all Tibetan areas are included) of China’s total territory. With a history of about 2500 years, and located at the southwest edge of China, Tibet used to be an independent empire. Thanks to their similar cultural (racial and religious) connections, on one hand, and appeasement policies that the Chinese rulers had adopted toward all Tibetans, on the other hand, Tibet and the rest of China have been formed as a single country for a long period of time. However, throughout the PRC era, the Tibet question has never been resolved easily. [...] The Tibetan government signs the Simla Accord with Britain, ceding the South Tibet region to British India. The Chinese government denounces the agreement as illegal 1917: [...] People’s Republic of China (PRC) is proclaimed by Chinese Communist Party. The PRC announces its intention to "liberate" Tibet 1950: