Editor's note: Qiao Basheng, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a researcher at the Research Center for External Publicity and Cultural Security, the School of National Security, the Human Rights Research Center, Northwest University of Political Science and Law in Xi'an. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.
Due to factors such as poor natural conditions, a weak foundation for development, and difficulty in aggregating production factors, Xizang after its peaceful liberation in 1951 experienced a relatively backward level of economic and social development compared with the national average. For this reason, the principles and policies of the central authorities and the whole country supporting Xizang came into being. In 1994, the Third Forum on Work of Xizang decided on the strategic principle of "nationwide support for Xizang" and the model of "taking responsibility for each region, providing counterpart support, and regularly rotating."
From 1994 to 2022, there were 10 batches of 11,900 cadres and talents who assisted Xizang in various parts of the plateau. We will continue to strengthen coordination with our counterparts in providing assistance to Xizang, explore new models of coordinated development, industrial cooperation, and management of aid to Xizang with provinces and municipalities and central enterprises, and coordinate and integrate economic aid, industrial aid, scientific and technological aid, employment aid, poverty alleviation aid to Xizang, etc., as well as medical and educational personnel in groups to aid Xizang.
Over the past 30 years, counterpart assistance to Xizang has directly promoted Xizang's rapid economic growth through funds, projects, and technical support. From 2012 to 2022, the central government provided a total of 1.73 trillion yuan ($238 billion) in subsidies. With the financial support of the state, the investment in fixed assets of the whole society increased by 2.3 times from 2012 to 2022.
At different times, the central authorities have arranged major projects that have a bearing on Xizang's development and people's livelihoods, thus improving the people's production and living conditions. A total of 465 billion yuan has been invested in attracting investment, and the vitality of private investment has been continuously enhanced.
Through counterpart assistance to Xizang, Xizang's financial institutions have continued to improve their organizational system, gradually forming a multi-level, diversified, and multi-functional financial organization system such as banking, securities and insurance, and the role of finance in supporting economic and social development has been markedly enhanced, providing a solid financial guarantee for Xizang's economic development.
Over the past 30 years, with the vigorous support of the central authorities and fraternal provinces and municipalities, Xizang's industrial structure has become increasingly rational, and its self-development capability has been enhanced significantly. In 2023, Xizang's GDP was 239.267 billion yuan, an increase of 9.5 percent over the previous year, an increase speed of 8.3 percentage points over the previous year and ranks first in the country.
Through industrial upgrading, characteristic agriculture has been formed, mainly based on the highland barley industry and high-quality animal husbandry, and a number of characteristic industrial bases for agriculture and animal husbandry have been built. In 2023, the added value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery in the region was 22.021 billion yuan, an increase of 14.7 percent over the previous year.
Through counterpart assistance to Xizang, a modern industrial system with local characteristics has been established and improved, the industrial added value has increased substantially, and the depth and breadth of the industrial chain have been continuously extended.
From 2012 to 2022, the industrial added value increased by 1.77 times, and the depth and breadth of the industrial chain continued to be extended. Through counterpart assistance to Xizang, a number of tourism brands have been created, the construction of important world tourist destinations has been promoted, and the number of tourists and income have increased significantly. From 2012 to 2022, the number of tourists received increased from 10.6 million to 30 million, and the tourism revenue increased from 12.6 billion yuan to 40.7 billion yuan, an increase of 2.2 times.
Over the past 30 years, in the course of coordinated development with fraternal provinces and municipalities, exchanges and cooperation between Xizang and its neighboring regions have been deepened day by day. Xizang has been deeply integrated into the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Greater Shangri-La Economic Circle, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai Economic Circle, the Yangtze River Economic Belt and other surrounding economic circles, striving to create an important channel for opening up to South Asia, and greatly enhancing Xizang's regional influence. In 2022, the total import and export value of Xizang's foreign trade was 4.6 billion yuan, and its trading partners covered 95 countries and regions.
In recent years, the counterpart assistance to Xizang has changed from a "blood transfusion" type of assistance to an all inclusive type of assistance, abandoning the previous mode of assistance that simply provided funds and building projects, and changed to a new model of aid to Xizang that focuses on industrial cultivation, technical support, and personnel training. Through the development model of "enterprise + cooperative + farmer", Xizang explored new ways for the development of local products and continuously improved the added value of local products. These measures have not only enhanced the sustainable development capacity of Xizang's economy, but also provided valuable experience for global poverty reduction and development.
In the process of providing assistance to Xizang, fraternal provinces and municipalities have fully respected and protected its rich cultural resources, and promoted harmonious coexistence and cultural integration among ethnic groups. Festivals such as the Lhasa Shoton Festival and the Shigatse Mt. Qomolangma Cultural Tourism Festival have not only attracted a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, but have also become an important window to showcase the charm of Xizang's diverse culture.
Through the "intangible cultural heritage+" model, the brilliant intangible cultural heritage culture is diversified and innovated, so that it is not only presented and displayed in an authentic way, but also accelerates the dissemination of excellent traditional culture. This approach not only preserves traditional culture, but also brings it closer to modern life, strengthens the sense of identity and pride of various ethnic groups in their own cultures, and provides a successful case for the international community to deal with the internal relations of multicultural and multi-ethnic countries.
Today, 30 years after the launch of counterpart assistance to Xizang, it has entered a historical period in which Xizang has developed the best, undergone the greatest changes, and benefited the masses the most. Xizang's economic and social development and progress is a typical microcosm of China's brilliant achievements in construction and development, and a miracle of human development created by Chinese-style modernization on the roof of the world. The concept of counterpart assistance, which is rich in Chinese characteristics, can become a reference model for the entire international community.
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