LHASA - Reform and opening up is a must for the prosperity of Tibet and its people, said Losang Jamcan, newly-elected chairman of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, on Tuesday.

Losang Jamcan was elected chairman of Tibet at the close of the first session of the 10th Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress on Tuesday.

His predecessor, Padma Choling, was elected chairman of the standing committee of the current regional legislature. Fourteen others were elected vice chairpersons of the regional government.

"Without reform and opening up, there will be no today's Tibet, nor  the prosperity and development of tomorrow's Tibet," Losang Jamcan told reporters after his election.

He said the regional government will deepen reform and opening up for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"Harmony and stability is an essential guarantee for Tibet's development and prosperity," he said. "We should cherish the harmonious and stable situation in our region in the same way that we cherish our very sight."

He urged maintaining vigilance in times of peace as well as taking a firm political stand and acting consistently to resolutely battling against the 14th Dalai Lama clique and unswervingly safeguarding the unification of the motherland and national unity.

"All development and progress of Tibet since its peaceful liberation is the results of sticking to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC),the socialist system, the regional ethnic autonomy system and the path of development with Chinese characteristics and Tibetan features", said the new chairman.

He vowed to improve the living standards of both urban and rural residents and narrow the gap between Tibet and the rest of the country in the public service sector.

Over the past five years, the region's gross domestic product saw an average growth of 12 percent each year to reach 70.1 billion yuan (about 11.15 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012.

Born in Chagyab, Tibet, in July 1957, Losang Jamcan studied at the Tibet University for Nationalities for five years and worked at the university for another 10 years.

Between May 1996 and January 2003, he was mayor of the regional capital of Lhasa and deputy secretary of the CPC Lhasa municipal committee.

From January 2003 to January 2013, he served different posts, including vice chairman of the regional government and deputy secretary of the CPC regional committee.