格桑卓玛：Xizang actively contributing to Chinese modernization

Over the past six decades since the Xizang Autonomous Region was established in 1965, we have witnessed remarkable transformations. With the support of the central government and local authorities across the nation, Xizang has entered a new phase of modern development characterized by economic growth, social harmony, cultural prosperity and a favorable ecological environment after 60 years of dedicated effort.

From leapfrog development to high-quality growth, the material foundation for modernization in Xizang has become increasingly robust. Over the past 60 years, its economic aggregate has experienced remarkable growth, reaching 155 times that of 1965 by 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 8.9 percent.

Key economic indicators such as total fixed asset investment and added value from large industrial enterprises consistently rank among the highest in the nation. The economic structure is gradually optimizing, with a projected distribution of primary industry, secondary industry and tertiary industry at 9 percent, 36.7 percent and 54.3 percent, respectively, in 2024.

With the upgrading and optimization of the industrial structure, Xizang's economy has shifted enormously, reducing its dependence on natural resources and enhancing its self-development capacity. The modern industrial system with Tibetan characteristics is being built at an accelerated pace, further transforming resource advantages into economic and development advantages.

As comprehensive reforms deepen, the environment of Xizang's development continues to improve; private investment surged by an impressive 52.9 percent in 2024. Xizang actively strengthens strategic cooperation with inland provinces while promoting international exchanges through platforms such as the China Xizang"Trans-Himalaya" Forum for International Cooperation. Border trade facilities have been significantly enhanced, establishing a solid foundation for high-level openness.

Xizang's development has always adhered to a people-centered philosophy and strengthened balanced urban and rural development. It not only focuses on coordinated regional development but also attaches importance to balanced urban and rural development.

In 2019, Xizang completely shook off absolute poverty and stepped into a moderately prosperous society together with the whole country, which is an unprecedented historical achievement in Xizang's history.

Xizang persists in giving priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas, taking counties as an important starting point, promoting equal exchange and two-way flow of urban and rural factors and striving to build a sound pattern of complementary advantages and coordinated development. In 2024, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Xizang reached 21,578 yuan ($3026.43), nearly 200 times that of 1965 and the growth rate was faster than that of urban areas.

The degree of exchanges and integration among all ethnic groups has been continuously deepened, and the whole of society in Xizang presents a vivid situation where all ethnic groups work together in unity and achieve common prosperity and development.

Tibetan culture develops in inheritance and prospers in innovation, promoting the coordinated development of material civilization and spiritual civilization in the process of Xizang's modernization. Xizang holds an important place for the protection of Chinese national characteristic culture and is a key world tourism destination in China. It has established a cultural construction system with legal guarantees and financial support and has built a gold-lettered signboard for Tibetan culture.

For example, among the 2,760 representative intangible cultural heritage projects in the region, 106 are national-level representative ones."The Epic of King Gesar," Tibetan opera and the Tibetan medicinal bath have been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Relying on scientific and technological progress and the deepening of reform and opening up, Xizang's cultural undertakings have developed vigorously. In 2024, the total output value of Xizang's cultural industry reached 10.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent.

Moreover, as an important national ecological security barrier, Xizang is a model of modernization where humans and nature coexist in harmony in China. It has always adhered to the principle of prioritizing ecological development, actively formulated ecological policies in line with local realities and timely addressed ecological issues, such as grassland degradation, through a series of policy measures.

Legislation is an important institutional arrangement for protecting the environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The central government supports Xizang in integrating ecological protection with the improvement of people's livelihoods, setting up a large number of ecological posts, thus transforming former lumberjacks into current forest rangers.

The ecological compensation mechanism, the arrangement of ecological posts and the participation in ecological projects have significantly increased the income of Tibetan farmers and herdsmen. Xizang has achieved remarkably comprehensive results in ecological civilization construction. The proportion of days with excellent air quality remains above 99 percent, and the water quality of major rivers and lakes in Xizang remains excellent.

In conclusion, with a heavy responsibility and a long way to go, Xizang is a critical segment for Chinese modernization, and it must continue to forge ahead with determination.

（From CGTN；Gesang Zhuoma, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is deputy director and researcher at the Institute of Social and Economic Studies under the China Tibetology Research Center. ）