Lhamo also speaks and writes Chinese, which China mandated as its primary language for schools and government agencies in a sweeping new “ethnic unity” law implemented July 1. Government officials accompanied the foreign journalists throughout the visit, and AP journalists were not free to move around or conduct reporting independently. Some Tibetans, like Lhamo, have found ways to embrace their language and identity, even as critics say the new law pushes China's majority Han culture. Beijing says the selection must comply with Chinese law and receive government approval. “Our mother tongue is the Tibetan language,” she said proudly.