Roundup: Symposium in HK Bridges Between Tibet, World

The four-day Tibet Autonomous Region (Hong Kong) Investment, Economic and Trade Symposium ended Thursday in Hong Kong, leaving visitors better knowledge on Tibet's unique plateau characteristics.

More than 10,000 people came to the symposium, the second large-scale investment and trade fair held by Tibet in Hong Kong since 1985, said Xu Mingyang, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government.

They saw the Tibetan singing and dancing shows, display of Tibetan products including traditional Tibetan medicines and arts and crafts, as well as exhibition of Tibetan books and antiques and shows of the folk Tibetan costume.

The symposium put great emphasis on promoting Tibet's tourism, presenting 32 tourist investment projects.

Xu said that the better understanding of Tibet is a good beginning for the development of Tibet's communication with the rest of the world, which is of vital significance for Tibet's economic development.

He said that Hong Kong is an ideal place to narrow the gap between Tibet and the rest of the world.

"Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, is an international financial and trade center. We can grasp the latest information and development trend of the world economy through the symposium held here," he said.

Tibet has been insufficiently and sometimes mistakenly understood by the rest of the world for a long time as a result of its remote geographic position and cultural difference, which hinders Tibet's advancement, according to Legqog, chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

The symposium held this year followed the decision of the Chinese central government to develop the vast west area.

Legqog stressed that the central government's strategy of developing the country's west has provided unusually good opportunities for Tibet.

"Based on the progress which has been made over the past years with the support of the central government, Tibet will seize the opportunities to further open to the outside world and integrate into the global economy," the chairman said.



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