The economic growth rate of the Tibet Autonomous Region has kept at 12 percent for three years, higher than the national average of China, a Tibetan official said Tuesday.

Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional government, made the remarks in a meeting with Ambassador of the Netherlands to China Philip De Heer.

Tibet is in its best period of development with rapid economic growth, stable society and national solidarity, he stressed.

De Heer and his party arrived in Lhasa Monday morning for a five-day visit to the city. During the visit, he will exchange views on cooperation in the cultural field with the departments concerned in Tibet.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2004)