Everything, even within the autonomous regions, is increasingly subject to the guidance and the supervision of the Communist Party of China. That conception of autonomy would be quite different, I think, from a common understanding of “autonomy”. There's no electoral process to participate in, and any leadership of the Tibet Autonomous Region must be vetted through the Communist Party system.
As just one example, if you want to be a Communist Party member, you're forbidden from practising religion, and so, in a Tibetan region that excludes many people who would want to be involved in any sort of political process.