Speech by Qiangba Puncog, Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region

June 20, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

I am honored to be here today, to have the opportunity of presenting to you the current social and economic developments in Tibet , and to answer any questions you may have. On behalf of the Tibet Autonomous Regional government, and the over 2.81 million people of Tibet , I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you all, for the care and concern you have shown towards Tibet 's development and the news coverage you have done on Tibet . I would like today's press conference to provide to you the latest in developmental and other information available concerning Tibet .

Thanks to the care and concern of the central government, thanks to the support extended from people throughout the country, and thanks to the concerted efforts made by the people of Tibet over the past 50 years since its peaceful liberation: Tibet's economy and its overall social development has now entered a new era, leapfrogging over obstacles toward the building of a comprehensive, well-off society. In 2006, the region's total GDP rose to over 29 billion yuan, following a year-on-year growth of more than 12 percent over six consecutive years. Its per capita GDP also reached 10,396 yuan, breaking for the first time the 10,000 yuan mark. The net income of farmers and herdsmen in the region maintained a two-digit growth figure for four consecutive years, and reached over 2,435 yuan. Residents in cities and towns around the region have also met with a disposal income of 8,941 yuan. In recent years, the natural landscape, as well as the cultural and historical sites of Tibet , continues to attract an increasing number of domestic and overseas visitors. Following the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on July 1st 2006, Tibet now enjoys better transportation services. The railway has offered Tibet a wonderful opportunity to accelerate the development in its tourism industry. In 2006, the Tibet Autonomous Region received over 2.51 million visitors, among whom 154.8 thousand were from abroad. Tibet 's economic structure has been continually optimized. The region's farming and animal husbandry—the region's primary industry—has witnessed rapid development. Development has also been seen in the secondary industries of mining, Tibetan medicine, construction materials and ethnic handicrafts. The tertiary industry, led by tourism, has also seen great improvement. In general, Tibet has entered into a stage in which its development has been the most rapid, and the benefits for its people the greatest.

At present, we are committing ourselves to the rapid development of the local economy, with an emphasis on putting people first, while using a scientific approach to development. Tibet , together with other provinces and regions, is striving for the grand goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way by 2020. For the last 50 years, Tibet has relied mainly on the central government for its fiscal expenditure and its construction of infrastructure. The central government has further increased its support of Tibet in recent years, by not only adopting a series of preferential policies and measures conducive to the development of Tibet , but also in the allocating of large amounts of funds. Figuratively speaking, nine out of 10 yuan spent by the Tibet Autonomous Regional government, has come from payments transferred over by the central government. Between 2006 and 2010, the State is expected to invest some 77.8 billion yuan in the building of 180 projects in Tibet . They will improve the local infrastructure and the living standards of farmers and herdsmen, and lay a solid foundation for Tibet 's future development.

We have also committed ourselves in developing a new countryside, with top priority being given to the improvement of living conditions for local farmers and herdsmen. We have set aside huge amounts of funds for an Affordable Housing Project, to assist low-income farmers and herdsmen. Last year a total of 56,000 households, or 290,000 farmers and herdsmen happily moved into new residences. For the next five years, we shall strive to greatly improve the infrastructure in regions of farming and animal husbandry. We shall make sure that over 80 percent of farmers and herdsmen shall enjoy a basic modern lifestyle—such as living in a secure and comfortable new residence, drinking clean water, having their diseases properly treated, walking on wide and even roads and having access to convenient and sufficient electricity. We have also adopted a policy offering free board and lodging to the children of farmers and herdsmen attending local schools, in addition to tuition waivers. At present, the six-year compulsory education program has been effectively extended to all counties in Tibet , and the nine-year compulsory education program has also been introduced to 49 counties in the region. A total of 64 counties in Tibet have said good-bye to illiteracy. Farmers and herdsmen in Tibet have long enjoyed free medical care, but it should be especially noted that there is no tax of any kind in the local region, related to farming and animal husbandry.

We are committing ourselves to ethnic unity and progress. Tibet is an ethnic minority region of China —inhabited predominately by ethnic Tibetans. The central government has been implementing a system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities, this policy of equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony, adheres to the principals of hard work, whereby various ethnic groups united, can achieve a common goal of prosperity and development. The people of various ethnic groups have developed brotherly love towards each other during the process of building a better home for themselves. They have trust in each other, support each other, live in harmony and work together, with one heart, during times of difficulty. The harmonious culture of the Chinese nation is well reflected here.

We are committing ourselves to the protection of religious freedom. Tibet is the cradle of Tibetan Buddhism, which has a far-reaching impact in the region. There are a great number of local Buddhist followers and a great variety of religious activities—which is quite unique to Tibet . The State has implemented a policy of religious freedom in Tibet , and sincerely respects the freedom of local people to worship. There are currently more than 1,700 religious sites, and over 40,000 monks and nuns living in monasteries throughout the region. Various religious activities are held regularly. There is harmony between religious believers and non-believers, and among people of different religious beliefs, though this is often not the case in other parts of the world.

We are committing ourselves to sustaining a harmony between man and nature. The ecosystem in Tibet is unique because of its fragile nature. One that would be very difficult to recover once it was damaged. President Hu Jintao has pointed out that it is our historical responsibility to protect the blue waters and green mountains of Tibet . Premier Wen Jiabao has emphasized the utmost importance of fully understanding the need to protect the environment of Tibet , including its ecosystem and cultural heritage. We have been making conscientious efforts to implement these instructions of our State leaders, adopting strict environmental appraisal standards. We have built major ecosystem protection projects, enacted 20 laws related to local legislation and regulations on ecosystem protection, established 38 natural protection zones, with a total area of more than 400,000 square kilometers—which account for over one-third of the total area of our autonomous region. You are perhaps quite concerned about the effects of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on the local environment. I'd like to tell you in a straightforward way, that over a year since its opening, the railway has greatly promoted the tourism industry in Tibet , along with social progress. We have implemented a series of measures, concerned with ecosystem protection, to make sure the land alongside the rail line is effectively protected. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been praised by the Tibetan people as the “economy line”, “unity line”, “happy line” and “eco-line”.

We have committed ourselves to the inheritance and development of the fine national and traditional cultural heritage. The central government has adhered consistently to a policy of respecting cultural diversity, one that is inheriting, protecting, and carrying forward the fine traditional cultures of Tibet . Traditional relics are under protection. The State has allocated a large amount of funds for maintaining and renovating a group of world heritage sites and major state cultural relics, including the Potala Palace , the Jokhang Temple , the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and the Sagya Monastery. The State has allocated over 300 million yuan for the renovation of the Potala Palace , the Norbulinka and the Sagya Monastery. The renovation of these three major cultural relic sites started in 2002. Over the next five years, we will invest hundreds of millions of yuan toward the protection and maintenance of major cultural relics. The Tibetan language is the official language of the autonomous region. Schools in Tibet have adopted a bilingual curriculum, to inherit, protect and carry forward the traditional literature and arts of the region.

In the future, with the care and support of the central government and people throughout the whole country, we shall continue our efforts to build a well-off society in an all-round way in Tibet

That's the end of our brief introduction to the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Next I'm ready to answer questions from members of the audience.