The politics of afforestation in Tibet: Controversies over tree planting and the persistence of green narratives in Nagchu

This article examines the persistence of afforestation and greening narratives through a case study of an experimental tree-planting project in Nagchu City, a high-altitude, historically treeless area in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The project – implemented by private enterprise Elion, under China’s Ministry of Science and Technology – aimed to establish trees in Nagchu. After reviewing the history of afforestation, this article analyses the origins, implementation, and outcomes of the Elion project, including resident perspectives. The analysis reveals that the project was driven primarily by state power embedded in top–down environmental governance – rather than ecological principles. This power manifested through the official narrative of ecological civilization building, Xi Jinping’s pishi (批示, written instructions), and what counts as ‘science’. Most interviewed residents viewed urban tree planting as beneficial, though a few expressed scepticism and concern. Their positive perceptions were shaped by multiple factors: environmental subjectivity, the official narrative of ecological civilization building, expressed belief in scientific and technological progress, and global afforestation narratives. Together, state power and these perceptions sustain afforestation and greening narratives in Nagchu.