It was part of China since 1720, it briefly declared independence in 1913 but that was recognised by no foreign nation [0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet

Correct. Conquered or colonized in 1720 [1]. A century before the British colonized China with almost the same model (small garrison, literal Mandarin in charge). Put another way, the British controlled Hong Kong for longer than China has Tibet.

The coloniser-colonised model works in the New World. It’s silly outside it as a general model. (And it misfires completely when comparing America and China. Both were colonies. Both have colonized and hegemonised.)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_expedition_to_Tibet_(1...