Central government will invest more than 100 billion yuan
(US$12.9 billion) in 180 projects in Tibet by 2010, the regional government
announced on Monday.
Though it had reported five consecutive years of GDP growth of
more than 12 percent, Tibet remained one of China's most
underdeveloped regions due to its harsh natural conditions and a
weak economy, and it relied heavily on investment, said Qiangba Puncog, chairman of autonomous
region.
The projects, covering infrastructure construction, education,
social security and environmental conservation, would promote
economic and social development, showing the central government's
support for the region.
Approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, in January, the
projects would see 80 percent of Tibet's villages connected by
road, safe drinking water for all its 2.76 million people and free
education up to high school for all children, said Hao Peng, the
region's vice chairman.
The funding would help pay for power plants and
telecommunications facilities in remote villages and to protect
natural forests.
The construction of the region's fourth airport in the northern
Ngari Prefecture was also included, said Hao, but he did not
elaborate.
"Most of these projects are designed to improve the living
conditions of the people, especially farmers and herdsmen, and to
help them share fruits of the reform and development in Tibet,"
said Hao.
The central government launched an aid program in Tibet in 1994,
under which cadres from other parts of China are selected and sent
to Tibet to work, and large sums are also invested in the
region.
Puncog said the central government invested more than 63 billion
yuan (US$8.13 billion) in large projects like the Qinghai-Tibet
railway and infrastructure upgrading from 1994 to 2005 and aid from
other provinces over the same period was worth more than 7.76
billion yuan (US$1 billion).
The annual GDP growth of Tibet reached 13.4 percent last year,
bringing the region's total GDP to a record 29 billion yuan
(US$3.74 billion) with the per-capita GDP above US$1,000. In
addition, the annual per-capita net income of Tibetan farmers and
herdsmen stood at 2,435 yuan (US$314) in 2006, an annual increase
of 17.2 percent.
"We have set a target to raise the per-capita net income of
farmers and herdsmen to the national average by 2010," said
Puncog.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)