Press conference on central govt's contacts with Dalai Lama

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Reporter from China News Agency: In the press release sent out yesterday about Vice-Chairman Du Qinglin's interview with the private representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama, we talked about the development and strategic target of the Tibet Autonomous Region since the Fourth National Conference on Work in Tibet held recently. I would like to ask Nyima Tsering, Vice-Chairman of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, to say something about his assessment of Tibet's development and his ideas about the future.

Nyima Tsering, Vice-Chairman of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, is speaking. [Photo/Tibet.cn]

Nyima Tsering: Thanks to the unremitting efforts made over the past 50 years since the Democratic Reform in 1959-1960, especially over the past 30-odd years since the reform and opening-up, people in the Tibet Autonomous Region now lead a well-off life and the development of Tibet stands at a new height. Tibet's GDP saw a 12.1% increase last year, with the average annual income of farmers and herdsmen rising up by 13%. The farming and pastoral areas in Tibet were also changed for the better: some 230,000 households composed of 1.23 million members moved into new houses; the construction of infrastructure has witnessed tremendous improvement; the protection and development of ecological environment has been strengthened in an all-round way; the public causes, including education, science and technology, culture and public health have all developed quickly. The Tibet Autonomous Region now enjoys social peace and stability and people lead a good and prosperous life. Students go to school, workers do their jobs, Buddhist believers pay pilgrimage, --everything is normal. The Tibetan people yearn for further development and ever-lasting peace and stability. and cherish the hard-won happy life. It has been the common view of all the people in the Tibet Autonomous Region that unity and stability are fortune, split-up and riots are misfortune. We are glad to see that Tibet received more tourists from home and abroad last year, the number received reaching 5.56 million. Tibet earned 5.24 billion yuan from this, which is a record high.

Nyima Tsering: Since the early 1980s, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have held five National Conferences on Work in Tibet., I participated in three of these conferences. During the period, the central governmenthas increased its aid and support to the region in a progressive way. During the period from 2001 to 2008, for example, the central governmenttransferred payments in Tibet to the tune of 154.1 billion yuan, accounting for 93.7% of Tibet's total financial revenues in the same period. In other words, of 100 yuan spent by Tibet, some 90 yuan come from the Central Government. There is no one political party like the CPC which is aiding the development of a minority region with resources pooled throughout the country for more than 10 years running. As a cadre of a minority ethnic group, I am deeply moved by what the central governmentis doing. I participated in three of these national conferences and receive benefits from the central governmentaid. The Fifth National Conference on Work in Tibet held recently shows loving care of the CPC Central Committee headed by General Secretary Hu Jintao for us Tibetans. The conference yielded fruitful result. It adopted strategic measures for the fast development of Tibet and to guarantee long-term stability in the region. It is of landmark significance for Tibet in building it into a moderately prosperous society.

Nyima Tsering: If you ask me about Tibet's future, I will tell you: With the loving care of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and their special aid and support from people in other parts of China, and with the staunch leadership of the CPC Tibet Committee and the hard struggle waged by the broad masses of people in Tibet, by 2020, the people of Tibet will be able to lead a well-off life, just as people in other parts of China do. Tibet will have a more beautiful tomorrow!