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Qinghai-Tibet Railway Blueprinting Tibet's Economy
Railway to be Built on World's Highest Pleatau
China's State Council has recently approved the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest and longest linking Tibet Autonomous Region with the rest of China, extending over 1,118km on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This will be a railway of epoch-making significance to the construction of a modern economy in Tibet in the way a prosperous export- from an import-oriented economy leading other western parts and even the whole of China is to be developed.
Punch Line Underlining Environment for Investment
Weak infrastructure construction has always been a vulnerable link bottlenecking Tibet's economic development. Since the third working conference of Tibet Autonomous Region called in 1994, Tibet has intensive infrastructure construction launched with full nationwide aid. With over 22 billion yuan of investment made it has built 62 key projects and a great many of infrastructure construction items. Some key projects such as the first phase Gonggar Airport project, the black Lhasa-Xigaze section of China-Nepal Highway, Yamzho Yumco Power Station and Lhasa long-distance communication hub completed have basically improved local investment environment in bringing about a speedy economic growth in the region. Since 1994, Tibet's GDP growth has been at an annual 12.9 percent, exceeding China's average.
But Tibet has still remained as the only region out of railway access in China to this day. Its highway and aviation transportation capacity is far from enough to meet the demand for an economic society. Increased costs of materials for production and daily life have severely weakened the competitiveness of local enterprises and affected the confidence of the investors. Irrespective of a rapid economic growth during the 9th Five-year Plan period, Tibet remains still as a most backward region with a low per-capita GDP and the income of farmers and herdsmen standing at a level merely a bit more half the national average.
Railway to be Built on World's Highest Pleatau
Huge investments are predicted for construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and as is estimated the costs will be at a sum used for infrastructure construction during the past 9th Five-year Plan period in Tibet. A complete three-dimensional transportation network will come into being after completion of the railway.
Solid Foundation for a Feature Economy
In recent years, Tibet has seen a burgeoning feature economy developed on the plateau since most of local advantages of resources and local conditions have been made. Thanks to the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Tibet will undoubtedly be helped with a direct linkup of its plateau economy with inland economies to develop and make accessible its industries and products to various parts of China and even the whole world.
Tourism experts say that construction of Qinghai-Tibet Railway is absolutely favorable to Tibet's tourism, one of its pillar industries developed. Tibet, one of the world's rarest tourism attractions, has for its unmatched natural scenery, unique local conditions and customs shown its fullest appeal to a multitude of tourists in China and abroad. Last year, tourists descending on Tibet exceeded over 500,000 person/time, with an aggregate amount of over 620 million yuan of earnings from tourism. Since most tourists can only enter or exit Tibet by air, a view generally held by world tourists is that due to limited transportation capacity and high charges, "it is easier to go to travel on an alien land than a visit to Tibet". The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will not only provide tourists with affordable transportation means, but will also help them tide over the ordeals of a different climate and enjoy the beauty of scenery on the plateau aboard train.
Same with its tourism industry, Tibet's feature industries, such as mining, plateau biology and green beverages, Tibetan pharmacology and medicine, agricultural and husbandry products processing and ethical arts and crafts will be greatly benefited by construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Lots of feature exports and brands unique to the plateau will likewise be developed and sold abroad due to construction of this railway line.
Accelerator to Upgrading of Concepts
Inaccessibility of transportation, especially laggard ideas resulting years in and out from an isolated life of people has partly led to Tibet's backward economy. Though marked successes have been achieved for a series of reforms advancing socioeconomic development, investment, education, science and technology, finance and market operation undertaken for developing an export-oriented economy, deficiency is still reported in people's market concept and a lack in system construction comparing with advanced coastal regions. So, laggard concepts must be upgraded and new ideas introduced to realize progressive growth in such a laggard ethical region as Tibet, otherwise, widening gap will be found between Tibet and other developed areas in China, said Quo Jinlong, secretary of CPC Tibet Autonomous Region Committee.
As things now stand with Tibet, with favorable opportunities offered for economic development in the region following western development strategy and the long-term stable political situation created, Tibet has mapped out its blueprint for a leapfrog growth of economy in the new century. A 12 percent economic growth during the 10th Five-year Plan period, per-capita GDP topping other western regions by the end of the period said, and developing at a medium level by 2010 and among those with "four modernizations" first achieved by the mid 21st Century are goals set by Tibet. Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway artery is undoubtedly a powerful lever in advancing Tibet's economy to a new height.
By PD Online Staff Member Du Minghua
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