"Tibet is very attractive," said US Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt on his first visit to the Tibet autonomous region on April 8.
Randt said that he was attracted to Tibet because of its long history and rich religious and cultural heritage.
He made the remarks at a meeting with Xu Mingyang, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government, Xinhua news agency reported.
Xu briefed Randt on the economic development in Tibet and the blueprint for its economic construction during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005).
"The local economy has seen remarkable expansion over the past decades," he said, adding Tibet planned to construct asphalt roads in all counties, make electricity available in all townships and radios available in all villages.
When Randt asked which fields were more suitable for foreign investment in the region, Xu said apart from tourism, the exploitation of resources, such as agricultural products and mineral resources, had potential.
Responding to Randt's question on measures adopted by the local government to improve the income of the general public, Xu said Tibet would cultivate the agricultural market through construction of small towns and offer preferential policies to promote the commercialization of farm products.
(eastday.com April 10, 2002)
