By Zhang Bolan, Gong Ming, People’s Daily
Chinese President Xi Jinping, on May 23, sent a congratulatory letter to a forum on the development of Tibet.
Xi said he hopes that on the new journey of advancing Chinese modernization, Tibet can fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, step up efforts to promote high-quality development and strive to build a prosperous, harmonious, and beautiful contemporary socialist Tibet underpinned by unity, civility, and modernization so that the people of Tibet can enjoy better and more fulfilled lives.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, people in Tibet, with the strong support of the central government and people throughout the country, have worked with grit and brought about a resolution to the problem of extreme poverty that had plagued the region for centuries, the letter said.
Tibet has achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the rest of the country, demonstrating vibrant and thriving scenes, it added.
Former Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal has paid multiple visits to Tibet since the 1990s, during which he witnessed the improvement of Tibet’s infrastructure and drastic changes taking place in various fields in the Chinese autonomous region.
He said eliminating absolute poverty is the best guarantee for human rights, and Tibet has completed a very arduous task by bringing about a resolution to the problem of extreme poverty.
He noted that the autonomous region had launched a series of measures to stabilize employment and increase income for its people, such as developing modern animal husbandry and tourism, promoting e-commerce, and popularizing vocational education.
“It is believed that the people of Tibet will have a happier and better life,” said Paudyal.
Australian sinologist Colin Mackerras came to China to study the country’s history and culture nearly 60 years ago. As a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, the highest award to commend foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s modernization drive, Mackerras pays close attention to Tibet’s religion and culture and their inheritance.
He said some Western observers’ remarks related to Tibet are entirely the opposite of what he has seen and felt.
Through watching traditional Tibetan opera in the autonomous region, he learned that the culture of Tibet had made remarkable progress. He also learned through his conversations with local villagers that the Chinese government had made huge investments in protecting Tibetan culture and traditions. These efforts are laudable, he said.
Mozambique’s Ambassador to China, Maria Gustava, called her recent visit to Tibet a magical experience that allowed her to see what it’s like to live on the plateau.
She saw railways, modern airports, roads connecting villages, and advanced communication systems, including the 5G network there. She also witnessed how a power grid interconnection project in Tibet’s Ngari prefecture has ended power shortage, a problem that has long bothered the autonomous region, and how the project has contributed to rural vitalization.
“Today, Tibet has become a place full of vitality and in a prosperous atmosphere,” she noted.
French employee of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Guibe Guillaume surprisingly found on a recent visit to Tibet that communication networks worked very well in the high-altitude autonomous region. He also discovered that even remote villages in Tibet had access to electricity and wide and flat roads. Speed detectors have been installed near many villages to protect the safety of residents and livestock.
He said that through the trip, he saw massive and high-quality infrastructure built in Tibet over the past decades.
Muhammad Asghar, a senior correspondent of the Associated Press of Pakistan, also joined the trip to Tibet, marking his first visit to the Chinese autonomous region in the last five years.
After visiting Tibet’s Nyingchi and Lhasa, the journalist noted that the size of urban Lhasa had been expanded five years ago, and the social and economic development and people’s livelihood in Tibet are on a new level today.
“Tibet, on a path of high-quality development, has built better transport, health, and education infrastructure. Its development achievements prove that no ethnic group will be left behind as China embarks on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects,” the Pakistani journalist said.
