Hu Calls for Maintaining Stability in Tibet

Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao Sunday called for resolutely safeguarding stability in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, which he said is in the fundamental interests of people of all ethnic groups.

Hu, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call in a group discussion with NPC deputies from Tibet, in which they reviewed a report on the work of the government delivered by Premier Zhu Rongji this morning to the Third Session of the Ninth National People's Congress.

Stability is a premise for economic development, he said, " Nothing could be achieved without a stable social environment." Territorial integrity of the motherland should be steadfastly maintained, and we should firmly oppose separatism," he stressed.

Hu said that protecting the interests of the Tibetan people should be the basis for developing Tibet, which also explains fundamentally why the central government should launch a program of developing China's western areas.

He called on Tibet to take full advantage of the central government strategy to develop the west and strive to achieve faster economic growth and promote social progress. He also urged the autonomous region to seek new path in developing local economy.

Legqog, chairman of the regional government in Tibet and an NPC deputy, said Tibet would seize the opportunities posed by the central government strategy to revitalize the west, speed up construction of infrastructure like transportation, telecommunications and energy industries, intensify environment protection, and further economic restructuring. Other deputies offered their advice and suggestions on Tibet's development, which included developing tourism, enhancing education, science and technology, and bolstering ties with other parts of the nation.

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