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Stepping up efforts to push developments in Tibet

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-11-16 16:27

Stepping up efforts to push for rapid social and economic developments in Tibet

Wang Xinhuai

Inspector from the Division for Regional Economy of China’s National Development and Reform Commission

Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the economic and social development of the Tibet Autonomous Region. In this new century, the CPC Central Committee has held the fourth and fifth central working conference on Tibet, formulated a series of special preferential policies and invested huge human, material and financial resources. These efforts have lent a strong impetus to economic and social development in Tibet. Thanks to strong support from the central government as well as the joint efforts and hard work of people of all ethnic groups, Tibet has made extraordinary achievements in its economic and social development. They are as follows:

First, the regional economy has maintained rapid and sustained growth. From 2001 to 2010, Tibet's GDP soared from 13.92 billion yuan to 50.75 billion yuan, a 2.6-fold increase. Local budgetary receipts rose from 610 million yuan to 3.67 billion yuan, a growth of 500 percent. In 2010, fixed assets investment in the region reached 46.33 billion yuan, growing by 460 percent from 8.33 billion yuan in 2001. The retail sales of consumer goods totaled 18.08 billion yuan in 2010, up 270 percent over 4.9 billion yuan in 2001.

Second, people's living standards have been greatly enhanced. In 2010, the per- capita disposable income of urban residents in Tibet stood at 14,980 yuan and the per-capita net income of farmers and herdsmen was 4,138.7 yuan, 1.9 times and

2.9 times that of 2001, respectively. Over the last ten years, the number of people suffering from poverty in farming and pastoral areas was reduced from 643,000 to 180,000, and the incidence of poverty decreased from 29.7 percent to 7.4 percent. By the end of 2010, Tibet had also realized broadband coverage in all townships and telephone communication in all villages. All townships and more than 80 percent of the administrative villages in Tibet now have access to highways. A total of 1.4 million farmers and herdsmen living in poor conditions have moved into comfortable houses.

Third, infrastructure including transportation, energy and water management has been significantly improved. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway ended Tibet's history of being without railways. The Nyingchi Menling Airport, Ngari Gunsa Airport and Xigaze Peace Airport have been completed and put into use, making possible air routes among six of Tibet's seven prefectures and (prefecture-level) cities. With the completion and operation of the Medog Highway, China's last "isolated" county has also been connected to the country's highway network.

Fourth, competitive industries with local features have been making new progress. With continuous optimization of industrial structure, the added value of Tibet's primary, secondary and tertiary industries accounted for 13, 33 and 54 percent of the region's GDP respectively in 2010, compared to 27, 23 and 50 percent of the GDP in 2001. Leading industries, such as the processing of agricultural and livestock products and the development of mineral resources, have begun to take shape. Specialty products, such as "5100 Tibet Glacier Spring Water," Shenglu Edible Oil and Ganlu traditional Tibetan medicine have witnessed a rapid growth in sales revenue. Tourism in Tibet, with the advertising slogan "Magical Tibet – roof of the world," has become the fastest growing pillar industry with the greatest output value. In 2010, a total of 6.85 million person-times visited Tibet.

Fifth, ecological construction and environmental protection is advancing to a new stage of overall management. The central government has carried out projects to convert farmland into forest and pastures into grassland, and protect the natural forests. All together, 45.9 million mu of natural grasslands have been conserved and recovered, and 18 million mu of natural forests have been effectively protected.

Tibet is also home to 45 nature reserves, accounting for 34.4 percent of the total land area of the region. In 2009, the Chinese government approved the “Plan for Ecology Safety Barrier Protection and Construction in Tibet (2008-2030),” with projected investment totaling 15.5 billion yuan. Since then, Tibet's ecological construction has entered a new historic stage.

For the past years, Tibet has made extraordinary achievements in its economic and social development; however, due to limits of natural, historical and social conditions, it still faces some special difficulties and problems: natural disasters are frequent, production and living conditions are rather difficult, competitive industries with local features are still in their infancy and basic public services such as education and health care cannot yet satisfy the needs of farmers and herdsmen. In order to achieve leapfrog development and lasting stability in Tibet, and solve these special difficulties and problems during its development, the CPC Central Committee opened the fifth central working conference on Tibet last year, which outlined the guidelines for economic and social development of Tibet in the next decade, and made clear the objectives, important projects and supporting polices over the ten years. This July, the Chinese government approved a development plan for Tibet during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, which includes 226 construction projects in infrastructure, competitive industries, environmental protection and with regard to people’s livelihoods. These projects, involving a total investment of 330.5 billion yuan, will provide strong support for Tibet's economic and social development, as well as the improvement of people's living standards. By 2020, Tibet will present itself with better development: the income of farmers and herdsmen will be even higher, the ability to provide basic public services will be close or equal to the national average, infrastructure will be comprehensively improved, ecology safety barrier construction will deliver good results, and the objective of building a well-off society will be realized on schedule. For this goal, the central government will give more support in the following aspects:

First, improving the production and living conditions of farmers and herdsmen, and improving our ability to provide basic public services. The drinking water safety issue in all farming and pastoral areas will be solved by 2013. In the following five years, we will provide permanent housing for all nomads and renovate all dilapidated houses for farmers. We will vigorously develop preschool education, provide preferential policies for children of farmers and herdsmen to enjoy free food, lodging and tuition during their compulsory elementary and high school education, and raise the gross enrollment rate of Tibet’s high schools to 80 percent by 2015. With hospitals and health centers at all levels, we will further improve the medicare system based on free medical care in farming and pasturing areas, so that people of all ethnic groups in Tibet will have access to medical care. We will implement basic pension, medical, unemployment, industrial injury and maternity insurance systems for urban employees, and increase minimum living standards for urban residents. By the end of 2011, the pension insurance system will cover all residents over 60 years old in farming and pastoral areas.

Second, enhancing ecological construction and environmental protection, and safeguarding Tibet's clear water and blue sky. We will combine ecological rehabilitation with pollution control, carry out a number of key ecological projects including those for ecology safety barrier protection and construction in Tibet, and protect sources of large rivers, grasslands, wetlands, natural forests and biological diversity, especially native plateau vegetation and wildlife. To preserve beautiful forests and grasslands in Tibet, we will continue to implement policies of converting farmland into forest and pastures into grassland, establish a reward mechanism for grassland eco-protection, and improve the ecological compensation standard for national public forests.

Third, speeding up construction of major infrastructure including transportation, energy and water management. By 2015, all counties in Tibet will have access to asphalt roads; a railway will be constructed to link Tibet and Sichuan Province so that people of all ethnic groups here can enjoy a more convenient way to go out; airport capacity and technology will be improved and a new airport will be built in Naqu so that air routes are realized among all Tibet's seven prefectures and (prefecture-level) cities. Meanwhile, we will speed up energy infrastructure construction. The Qinghai-Tibet grid interconnection project will be finished by 2012, which will link the Tibetan grid to the northwest grid and fundamentally solve power shortages in Tibet. We will promote the development of renewable energy such as solar and geothermal energy sources, and significantly improve Tibet's energy independence as soon as possible. A number of key water projects and irrigation facilities will be constructed to improve conditions for agricultural production and solve water shortages in farming and pastoral areas as soon as possible. Drinking water sources will be protected and a number of high-quality water supply projects will be carried out. We will further improve communication infrastructure to better guarantee communication.

Fourth, cultivating a number of competitive industries with local features. We will take full advantage of farming and pastoral resources with local features on the Tibetan Plateau. Giving support for development and production of specialty products such as green food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, Tibetan carpets, traditional embroidery and dairy products, we will strive to cultivate local brands. Combining beautiful scenery with culture and ecology, we will promote quality travel routes with local features on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Farmers and herdsmen will get support to develop rural and ecological tourism businesses, which will also increase their income.

Fifth, adopting more preferential policies toward Tibet. The central government will continue to implement preferential financial and tax policies in Tibet. All taxes imposed in Tibet, excluding tariffs, import consumption tax and value-added tax, will be given to Tibet. We will ensure basic expenditure for education, health and government operation, and meet the needs of fiscal spending on various important issues. The central government will provide funds for construction of large public welfare projects. We will support the development of the financial industry in Tibet. Subsidies will be provided for banks and other financial institutions in Tibet to issue various types of loans. We will help establish local commercial banks in Tibet and create conditions for financial institutions to set up more branches and service outlets in Tibet. We will give further support for investment in Tibet, and attract more foreign and private capital to Tibet. Meanwhile, China has been carrying out the "pairing-up" support program, where those economically developed areas help to develop Tibet. Over the next decade, 17 provinces and municipalities will provide personnel, technological and financial support to Tibet's seven prefectures and (prefecture-level) cities. According to the preliminary statistics, a total of more than 1,600 aid projects, with an investment of over 14 billion yuan, will be carried out by 2015. They will largely aim to improve infrastructure in farming and pastoral areas as well as municipal facilities, develop social programs covering education, health and culture as well as competitive industries with local features, and provide training for managerial and technical personnel as well as farmers and herdsmen.

The Chinese government will provide more support for Tibet and create a better environment for its development. We will give way to the intelligence of Tibetan people and their enthusiasm to develop the economy and seek a happy life. We will strive to help Tibet realize leapfrog development along the track of scientific development. We firmly believe that the future of Tibet will witness a more prosperous economy, its social construction will make greater progress, and its people will live a better life.