Officials from China's five autonomous regions – Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Guangxi, Tibet, and Xinjiang – held a joint conference in Beijing Wednesday to show what China has accomplished in the regions since the founding of People's Republic of China in 1949.

At the same time, a free exhibition of achievements in the five regions is being held in the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing. It will run until September 17.

Tibet: Two major achievements made

Beijing: Tibet has taken two great strides forward ever since the founding of People's Republic of China, Palma Trily, executive vice chairman of Tibet, said in a conference in Beijing Tuesday.

During the past 50 years, Tibet ended the society of theocratic feudal serfdom through democratic reform, making an important contribution to the human rights development in the world, Trily said.

He also said that the economy developed rapidly in Tibet, and the per capita disposable income of average urban Tibetans reached 12,482 yuan ($1,827) this year, a year-on-year increase of 12.1 percent.

Ningxia: living standard improved remarkably

Beijing: The total revenue of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has doubled approximately 66 from its 1958 level, Li Rui, Vice Chairman of Ningxia, said in a conference in Beijing Wednesday.

The living stand in Ningxia has improved "remarkably", Li Rui said, with the average income in rural areas reaching 3600 yuan ($527)and average urban income at 13,000 yuan ($1,903).

Guangxi: poverty reduced

Beijing: The number of people living in poverty in Guangxi has dropped to 2 million in 2008 from 21 million in 1978, Chen Wu, Vice Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said in a conference in Beijing Wednesday.

Chen also said that officials of ethnic minority groups now account for 36 percent of all officials in Guangxi. The province has a total population of 48.57 million, of whom 38.4% are ethnic minority groups.

Guangxi has becoming an important exchange center between China and Southeast Asia and aims to further enhance its role in the international economy, said Chen.

Xinjiang: coal industry develop rapidly

Beijing: Xinjiang’s trade volume hit $22 billion in 2008, 4,300 times what it was in 1955, and the region has established trade or technical relations with 167 countries and regions, Kurax Mahsut, vice chairman of Xinjiang Urgur Autonomous Region, said during a conference in Beijing.

He also pointed to a wide range of social changes including improvements in the region’s economy, its democratic governance, and education and health systems. The average net income of farmers in Xinjiang is 3500 yuan in 2008, and the per capita disposable income of Tibetans in urban areas reached 11432 yuan.

The official emphasized that a united China helped drive Xinjiang’s development.

Inner Mongolia : sound education and healthcare system established

Beijing: Zhao Shuanglian, the vice chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said that the region is fully covered by an education and healthcare ystem.

Nine years of compulsory education has been provided to 99.8 percent of students, and 80 percent of farmers are covered by the healthcare insurance program.

Founded in 1947, Inner Mongolia was the first Autonomous region in China.