By Liu Botong, People’s Daily
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region. Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee, and Gama Cedain, deputy secretary of the CPC Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of the People’s Government of the region, introduced the region’s remarkable economic and social development achievements at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Aug. 5.
In 2024, the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 276.5 billion yuan ($38.52 billion), 155 times that of 1965 in constant prices. While it took the region 50 years to achieve its first 100 billion yuan in GDP, the second 100 billion yuan milestone was reached in just six years, Wang said.
Since 2021, sustained efforts have further expanded Xizang’s economy while improving the quality and efficiency of growth. Modern industries, including clean energy, cultural tourism and plateau light industry, are laying the foundation for a modern industrial system. The region’s key economic indicators have ranked among the highest growth rates in the country for several consecutive years, with its regional GDP projected to surpass 300 billion yuan this year, reaching the third 100 billion yuan milestone.
Xizang’s infrastructure has also significantly improved. By the end of 2024, the total operational road length and the railway length in the region had reached 124,900 kilometers and 1,359 kilometers, respectively, and its domestic and international air routes reached 183. Four major power grids had been put into use, with the main grid now covering all counties, districts, and cities in the region.
These developments have substantially resolved historical infrastructure constraints, providing significant momentum for high-quality regional development, Wang noted.
Xizang boasts a long history and a splendid culture, alongside unique natural landscapes and rich cultural resources. It is an important center for preserving the distinctive culture of the Chinese nation and a major global tourism destination, enjoying exceptional advantages in developing the cultural tourism industry, which has experienced robust growth in recent years.
In 2024, the total output value of Xizang’s cultural industry increased by 23.8 percent, according to Gama Cedain. The region received 63.89 million domestic and international visitors, marking a 15.8 percent year-on-year increase. Notably, the number of inbound tourists skyrocketed by 188.2 percent. In the first half of this year, Xizang welcomed over 32.18 million visitors, representing an 11.7 percent increase year on year.
Meanwhile, living standards have improved dramatically. In 2024, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in Xizang reached 55,444 yuan, 121 times that of 1965. The per capita disposable income of rural residents hit 21,578 yuan, 199 times that of 1965.
Xizang has achieved a comprehensive victory over poverty and eliminated absolute poverty. Education has been made a top priority, with the region leading the nation in providing a 15-year publicly funded education program from kindergarten to senior high school.
A comprehensive public healthcare system offers free health checkups for all farmers and herders, contributing to a regional life expectancy of 72.5 years. Accelerated urbanization has transformed settlements into modern towns.
Over the 60 years since the establishment of the autonomous region – particularly in the past five years – Xizang has vigorously advanced various livelihood projects and programs. People of all ethnic groups have witnessed transformative changes in their daily lives, such as shifting from carrying water in buckets to enjoying running water, from oil lamps to electric lighting, from dirt roads to paved highways, and from yurts to modern housing, according to Gama Cedain.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the state and the autonomous region plan to allocate 24.65 billion yuan to support 28 categories of regional social development projects. As of now, 23.678 billion yuan has already been invested in these projects.
A wide range of livelihood initiatives have been effectively implemented, including centralized heating and oxygen supply in high-altitude areas, the resolution of seasonal water shortages in agricultural and pastoral zones, enhanced reliability of power supply, and comprehensive coverage of fiber-optic broadband and 4G networks.
Located on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known as the “roof of the world” and “Asia’s water tower,” Xizang serves as a vital ecological security barrier for China. How can the region safeguard the plateau’s unique ecological environment while preserving its biodiversity and natural wonders?
Xizang has adopted the strictest ecological protection system in accordance with law. It has firmly upheld a policy of rejecting the approval or introduction of projects and enterprises that are high in energy consumption and emissions but low in efficiency, strictly prohibiting any pollution-prone projects on the plateau. The region has actively promoted national park construction and advanced the afforestation project in the northern and southern mountains of Lhasa, the regional capital. Ecological conservation red line zones have been drawn for more than 50 percent of the region’s land area, with protected areas of all types and levels now accounting for 37.95 percent of its land area.
Low-carbon development has also been vigorously pursued. In 2024, over 99 percent of electricity in Xizang was generated from clean energy, the highest of all regions in China. Non-fossil energy consumption in the region exceeded 55 percent of total energy use, placing it among the top in the country in green energy.
Today, Xizang’s natural environment is among the best preserved in the world. “We will firmly uphold the principle that ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and so are ice and snow,’ persistently serving as guardians to make the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau an ecological treasure shared by mankind and contributing more to building a shared future for all life on Earth,” Wang said.
