Tibet forges ahead as its people prosper

By Zhao Shijun

Local development has been given strong government support and will continue to receive it, Party chief says.

Tibet will give equal priority to growth, stability and ecology to ensure sustained socioeconomic improvements, Wu Yingjie, Party chief of the Tibet autonomous region said in an article published in the People’s Daily recently.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the central government have given strong support to Tibet’s development since the 18th National Congress of CPC convened in November 2012 in Beijing, he said.

Over the past five years the central authorities’ support has included starting many infrastructure projects, issuing preferential policies specifically for Tibet, making the region a higher priority in the national development strategy and offering guidance for the autonomous region’s growth, Mr Wu said.

Tibet is now in the best period of development in its history in terms of social stability, economic growth, ecology and people’s quality of life, Mr Wu said.

During the first half of this year, Tibet ranked first in the country in the growth of gross domestic product, industrial gross profit, retail sales of consumer goods and per capita incomes for rural and urban residents, he said. It ranked third in the growth of fixed-asset investment.

The government will invest 73.7 billion yuan (£8.48 billion) this year in 32 key projects for improving residents’ living conditions.

Tibet will make further efforts to help increase growth, ensure social stability and improve people’s lives, he said. The government will invest 73.7 billion yuan (£8.48 billion) this year in 32 key projects for improving residents’ living conditions.

The spending and other efforts will ensure that 130,000 people in Tibet can be lifted above the poverty line by the end of this year. About 20 counties will be removed from the list of impoverished areas, he said.

Tibet is highlighting the role of industrial development in eradicating poverty, both in cities and the countryside.

Farmers, herders and local businesses are joining efforts to extend industrial chains of local produce such as highland barley and yak dairy products, which are playing an increasingly important role in raising locals’ incomes, he said.

Various measures will be taken to promote employment, especially for new graduates from colleges and universities, he said.

Graduates are encouraged to start their own businesses, and the government has set aside 2 billion yuan for an entrepreneurship fund for graduates. About 3,000 new graduates from universities have opened their own businesses this year in the region, Mr Wu said.

Medical care is crucial for improving local people’s lives, so authorities will adopt preferential policies to attract medical professionals from the rest of the country, to encourage medical workers to work in rural communities and improve education for rural medical professionals, he said.

Mr Wu highlighted the role of religious affairs in maintaining social stability in Tibet.

The Party’s and the government’s management of religious affairs should be enhanced, he said, adding that efforts should be made to ensure freedom of belief and improve the lives of Buddhists and other believers.

On the other hand, the Tibetan people oppose all kinds of separatist activities and violence in the disguise of religions, he said.

Mr Wu said Tibet should strengthen collaboration with other regions of the country. He said Tibet will have more preferential policies to encourage talented people from the rest of China to come to Tibet to work or start businesses — and Tibetans are encouraged to work outside Tibet to learn more skills for working or doing business.

Mr Wu said good ecology plays an important role in Tibet’s development and the well-being of its people.

To protect the local environment, Tibet should take stricter measures to control pollution and restore plateau ecology by minimising the impact of human activities, he said.