Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group:
We know that the human rights situation in Tibet Autonomous Region has seen tremendous change since the beginning of democratic reforms 60 years ago. However, some countries and the Dalai group claim that the human rights situation in Tibet is not so good. What is the human rights situation in Tibet like? Are there any violations of human rights in Tibet? Thank you.
Norbu Dondrup:
There is an old Chinese saying: "a resonant drum needs no heavy beating, and a running horse needs no spur." Many people here today are from Tibet and most of them are local officials of ethnic minority groups whose parents suffered from ruthless oppression and exploitation under feudal serfdom. Today, we come to the press conference with a brand-new attitude. The people next to me are both officials of ethnic groups, and so am I. You can see from us the remarkable achievements that the cause of human rights has made. There are abundant historical materials in the white paper released today which provide detailed information on democratic reforms in Tibet and its landmark achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Therefore, regarding the human rights situation in Tibet, I can tell you that it is not just good, but it's very good. The public's sense of happiness over the development of the cause of human rights and protection of human rights in Tibet is not just strong, but very strong. Some people abroad and the Dalai group cast blame on our human rights, but I believe they have ulterior motives. What I have mentioned about the tremendous changes in political, social and economic aspects in Tibet are exactly the achievements and changes we have made on the cause of human rights development.
We know very well that before 1959, the millions of serfs in Tibet had almost no words or concepts of "human rights" in their minds. They did not realize the concept of human rights because, in the old Tibet ruled by Dalai, they were entirely deprived under the feudal serfdom. Their basic right to life was absent, let alone their right of development. The last generation of our people to have witnessed this said that it was an extremely dark and cruel society, where millions of the serfs were merely "talking tools." The feudal serfdom regime in Tibet divided people into three distinct social classes and nine ranks. People of the highest rank were literally worth their weight in gold, while people of the lowest rank were worth only the price of a straw rope. There was no equality before the law. Serfs could be sold, transferred and even slaughtered or put into jail. Serfs could be randomly selected to have their skin pulled, their tendons pulled out or even their eyes gouged out. All of this has been mentioned in the white paper. How could people have human rights under those circumstances? There were no human rights at all. Therefore, when the Dalai Lama attacks our human rights today he definitely has motives behind it. His abuse of human rights disqualifies him from talking about the human rights.
Some countries, coaxed or misguided by slanders from the Dalai Lama clique, attack our human rights conditions. Human rights in China are closely integrated with our own national conditions; have answered and satisfied the people's demands; and have been catered for the broad masses of the population and the people of Tibet. In evaluating human rights conditions, one should listen to the people, especially the more-than-3-million Tibetan people, who should have the final say. In my view, the satisfaction and happiness of the people are the best testimony for human rights conditions.
In turn, we now feel that we have been liberated and have been empowered to become masters of the country and society, and have the right to pursue our own destiny. We are therefore proud of it. We are very happy to live in the socialist family under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Just as what I have mentioned to you, we are not only the offspring of the serfs, but also the living witnesses to six decades of brilliant development of Tibet's politics and economy. We are the real beneficiaries of the achievements of all aspects of social development and human rights in Tibet.
Broadly speaking, human rights can be prioritized in two basic rights—the right to life and the right to development. Compared with old Tibet, Tibet's human rights are an epoch-making leap. Since the democratic reform, under the cordial care of the Party Central Committee, Tibet's human rights and all aspects of Tibet's development have indeed achieved unprecedented and tremendous historical achievements.
First, the Tibetans enjoy the equality of political rights and are able to participate in the administration of regional and state affairs. In the national and local people's congresses and the annual Two Sessions (the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), the deputies are composed by a majority of Tibetans and other minorities from the Tibet Autonomous Region. They are always greatly pleased and highly honored to attend the sessions. In their strikingly embroidered traditional clothes, they speak on behalf of their people. They fulfil the duties entrusted to them by their people and extend the wishes of Tibetans and other minority people as much as they can.
The Chairman of the Tibet regional government and the Director of the local People's Congress are cadres of ethnic minorities, mainly local Tibetan cadres. Most Party secretaries and county heads of Tibetan cities and counties are also ethnic minority cadres. People here enjoy equal political participation, and representatives are chosen regardless of their ethnic nationality and social status. The right to live is also clearly protected and the Constitution and laws guarantee the lives and property of the general public in Tibet. People can participate in economic and social activities as long as they fall within the law and are free to love, marry, and hold weddings and funerals. The Party and the government have also taken many measures to improve medical conditions, extend the life expectancy of the people of Tibet and improve the health of the people. We have invested a large amount of funds and started many projects in this aspect. There are many endemic diseases in Tibet, such as high-altitude cardiovascular disease and rheumatism, and there are children with congenital heart disease. The Party and the government attach much importance to this and have made great efforts to build a large number of medical institutions at the autonomous region, prefecture and county levels. We now have big hospitals at the autonomous region level, Class A hospitals in the counties, health centers in the towns, and health clinics in the villages — all staffed with many medical professionals. They have worked hard to serve the people and patiently prevent and treat diseases for the general public. Therefore, many people are now freed from the pain of disease and live a happy and healthy life.
Every time there is a big natural disaster, our government is quite concerned about the people in Tibet, and tries the best to help the people there. Saving lives is always the top priority. All ethnic groups in China are united and dependent on each other, and we are as inseparable as fish is to water. Whether you are of Tibetan or Han ethnic group, we are inseparable from each other. Ethnic minorities are also inseparable from each other and when encountering natural disasters, everyone rushes to the front line to help in disaster relief efforts. In the face of disasters, they demonstrate that "when one has difficulties, all others would support" and rescue victims of disasters such as earthquakes and mudslides in a timely manner.
As specified in the white paper, we also enjoy sufficient rights to carry out further development. But what I want to tell you is that there was no decent road in the old Tibet. All materials required for production as well as daily necessities were transported over thousands of miles by people who carried them on their backs, and by mules, horses, cattle and even sheep. The movement of such materials to Tibet relied solely on these forms of transportation. But now our infrastructure, including transportation, water, electricity, communications, etc., extends in all directions. Modern roads in Tibet now stretch over 90,000 kilometers. In the past, millions of Tibetan serfs had never left their villages, never seen a plane or even heard of a car, but now almost every family has their own vehicles, and is free to travel everywhere. Those who had never seen an airplane, now not only can board a plane and go to various places in China, but also have the option to become a pilot themselves. In the past, people lit up their homes with oil lamps, but now homes can be brightly lit by electric lamps with just a flick of a switch. The roads and highways are also all illuminated by lights. It is clear that human rights have developed and progressed in Tibet.
In terms of education, I would like to talk about my own experience. When I first left home, I did not know much about the outside world. We were not educated back then. However, now I am not only fluent in the Tibetan language, but also the Chinese language. I can communicate conveniently with people from the rest of China and other parts of the world.
Besides, in the old Tibet, only 5 percent of the people, mostly feudal serf owners, were entitled to education; and the rest of the people, about a million serfs, did not have the right to education. Now, we are all entitled to education, and the state has founded many schools in Tibet.
As far as I know, there are over 2,200 schools of various kinds in Tibet, and all school-age children can go to school. They enjoy education in a good environment, and can learn a lot of knowledge. They learn the Tibetan language, the Chinese language, and even the languages of many other countries. This is a huge historic breakthrough of human rights in the field of education. The serfs could not even dream about this before, as it would have been totally unimaginable.
In terms of culture, our Party and state pay great attention to the cultural development of Tibet. Many cultural and historical sites in Tibet have been well protected and developed. As many temples are made of wood and mud, the state has spent huge amounts of money to renovate and protect them from weathering and natural disasters. There are 55 national cultural relics protection units and 616 regional cultural relics units in Tibet. Some important historical sites, including the Potala Palace in Lhasa, have entered the UNESCO's world cultural heritage list, and have enjoyed appropriate protection.
In terms of freedom of religious belief, there is a saying that "seeing is believing." You can go all around Tibet and see that people are free to practice their religious beliefs. The law protects every person's right to freedom of religious belief, and there are no restrictions on religious beliefs. In addition, the state constantly renovates religious buildings, and connects them with running water, electricity and roads, which was unimaginable in the past. Many of the temples in Tibet are built on high mountains, but are now easily accessible by car now. The monks' lives have become more convenient, and they can feel that the Party and the government sincerely care and pay great attention to them.
Tibet has always prioritized ecological protection, and many measures have been taken and many laws and rules issued. We have implemented the concept that fresh water and lush mountains are invaluable assets. The ecological environment in Tibet has been fully protected.
In short, people of all ethnic groups in Tibet can not only take part in the management of state and local affairs on an equal footing, but can also enjoy a peaceful and happy life in which babies can be nurtured, children can be educated, workers can be duly paid, patients can be treated in time and the elderly can be supported appropriately.
People can receive payment for all their work. All people have places to live in and all needy hands can be helped. People of different ethnic groups in Tibet love the CPC and their motherland. They feel content with their happy lives in the big family of the motherland, under the leadership of the Party. And they tend to use all kinds of ways to show their appreciation to the Party.
For example, every year during the National Day, local people hang the national flag at home to show their devotion to the motherland. In the Spring Festival and Tibetan New Year, they devote the first cup of highland barley wine, the first piece of hada and their first song to the Party, the motherland, the leaders and relatives in other parts of the country. This speaks volumes about the historical achievements of human rights conditions in Tibet, as well as local people's satisfaction with the development and conditions of human rights in Tibet.
CCTV:
My question is about Tibet's poverty alleviation. We know that the Tibet is the only contiguous poor area at the provincial level and a poverty-stricken region of China. So how is the poverty alleviation work going in Tibet? Thanks.
Norbu Dondrup:
As we have said, the old Tibet was a society of feudal serfdom, lacking good geographical conditions and a natural environment for development. For a long time, the Dalai group has engaged in a series of sabotage activities in Tibet. Therefore, Tibet is a poverty-stricken area at large. Through poverty alleviation work, great changes have taken place in Tibet. But compared to other areas of China, we still lag behind. We have more areas with severity poverty. And the cost and efforts for poverty alleviation are huge. At the end of 2015, 590,000 people were registered as households living under the poverty line, with a poverty headcount ratio of 35 percent.
General Secretary Xi has given an eminent place to the poverty alleviation work in Tibet. To lift the people in Tibet out of poverty has always a major concern of his. During the conferences on poverty alleviation held in Fuping, Yan'an, Guiyang, Yinchuan, Taiyuan and Chengdu, General Secretary Xi has put the poverty alleviation work first and pointed out that building a moderately prosperous society in all respects means leaving no ethnic minority group behind.
Therefore, the Party committees and governments at various levels stand firm and take targeted measures to lead the masses combating poverty with a straight forward spirit. Many preferential policies, particularly for the development of Tibet, have been carried out, which do not only greatly push forward the alleviation work but offer another opportunity of historical significance. Tibetans living in poverty appreciate everything General Secretary Xi and the government is doing to lift them out of poverty. They have said that General Secretary Xi is busy with various national affairs, and yet he still cares about the people in the most remote areas. They appreciate General Secretary Xi and the CPC Central Committee with all their heartfelt intention.
The CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee and the regional government have unswervingly implemented the strategy of precision poverty-reduction and poverty-eradication. In accordance with the requirements, we set forth the objective of providing adequate food and clothing while ensuring access to compulsory education, basic medical services and housing. "Providing adequate food and clothing" here means that people in Tibet eat better than before. In the past, people living in the old Tibet don't have enough food and clothes, nor hopes for having more tomorrow. Their lives were miserable.
I came from a rural area. Many officials, including me, have made many visits at the community level in the Tibet Autonomous Region to see the real conditions there, so as to connect more closely with the people, as required by General Secretary Xi. Poverty reduction has achieved great progress in the impoverished areas. People now have access to a variety of food, including beef, butter, drinks and barley wine. In addition, thanks to a series of measures, vegetables can be planted at high altitudes and fresh vegetables are available to the people there. People have new clothes to wear for the New Year, and have more choices. This is what I mean when I said "providing adequate food and clothing."
The medical services and housing are even better. We have a medical insurance system based on free medical services, ensuring the public has access to medical services. If people get sick, they can seek medical services both in villages and townships. The public can receive not only disease prevention services, but also treatment in other regions. The public can even seek medical services in other regions of China by plane. Why can this happen? Because of the government's good policies, which provide the public with something to rely on. Moreover, the improved livelihood of the public allows them to afford greater expenses. All of these are true facts. Regarding the housing safety issue, the residential buildings built in the past were relatively low in quality, however, new buildings are spacious, bright, comfortable and of good quality. You can go to Tibet Autonomous Region to see for yourself. In accordance with the requirements of the central authorities, the CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee and the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government resolutely put poverty alleviation as the top priority and the first livelihood project, and placed it at the top of the "three major battles" (poverty relief, environmental protection and preventing financial risks). The achievements have been fruitful. Party committees and governments at all levels have concentrated more efforts on poverty alleviation, pledging that they will never stop until winning the battle with the belief that if they don't win the battle, it's because they haven't made enough efforts. We work towards poverty alleviation through targeted measures, including: who is the one we need to help? What has caused his poverty? We conduct multiple analysis from various aspects, such as poverty level and cause, before helping. We will continue to make specific plans and measures for poverty alleviation, and provide them with necessary technology, funds and production materials, in a bid to help them get rid of poverty and achieve prosperity as soon as possible.
We are determined to promote poverty alleviation industry projects based on our strengths. At present, over 2,300 poverty reduction projects have been carried out, lifting 211,000 people out of poverty. You may not understand that it is very difficult to develop the industry in Tibet, especially in places where there are snow and ice, very high altitudes and harsh conditions. However, our Party and government have taken special measures to overcome various difficulties to promote industries in impoverished regions. A large number of crop production, breeding and processing cooperative organizations have been established and they have proved to be very helpful. Moreover, many enterprises participate in the poverty alleviation battle. They have set up their own poverty alleviation contact offices, and developed an array of industries to promote poverty reduction. Due to some severe lack of resources, the high cost for providing access to water, electricity and roads, or extremely poor natural environments, it was really difficult to assist some impoverished people in places they used to live, so we encouraged them to relocate to places with convenient transportation conditions, surplus resources, and a higher level of urbanization so that they can get rid of poverty in a new environment. During this process, we fully respected their willingness, and helped them relocate step by step. We never forced them to relocate. We encouraged people who live in highly and extremely cold pasturing areas, deep mountains and valleys, places with endemic diseases, places with frequent geological disasters and ecologically vulnerable places to move out so that they will have the chance to get rid of poverty and achieve prosperity. Those impoverished people who relocated have moved into very good residences which they could not have imagined before. The relocation sites are all equipped with public services facilities, such as hospitals and schools. Some 266,000 people have showed their willingness to relocate, and 236,000 of them have finished their relocation. We address poverty reduction by carrying out training and teaching skills in a bid to help impoverished population increase confidence in their own ability to lift themselves out of the poverty and see that they can access the education they need. We would hereby like to express our gratitude to the people in other regions of China. The central government has spent a large amount of money and investment to fight against poverty in Tibet. A lot of provinces and cities have provided their assistance to the region, bringing advanced technology, modes of production and management ideas. They have provided training and tought skills for local people who were hindered by traditional thoughts and not market-minded. This has obviously enhanced local people's ability to lift themselves out of poverty. They are on the one hand the objects of the poverty reduction, but on the other hand, they have become the major driver in the battle. Consequently, the public say they have learnt a lot in the poverty eradication process. Remarkable changes have taken place. They say their income in the past was too low, but now, it has increased significantly. Moreover, they can do more things after mastering skills.
The central government has formulated many policies for us, and we Tibetans have benefited greatly. The autonomous region has pooled funds of more than 40 billion yuan to implement these policies. The central government agencies and the provinces, cities and enterprises which provide aid to Tibet, have invested nearly 50 billion yuan to promote its economic and social development, as well as intensifying poverty alleviation inside Tibet. Meanwhile, with the pair-assistance, Tibetans not only learned about the technology, but also directly gained benefits in fighting against poverty. We persisted in enhancing Party building and promoting poverty eradication. Many officials are stationed to help villagers escape poverty, standing with them throughout the process. Poverty alleviation has had some initial achievements. Since 2016, 55 poverty-stricken counties have been removed from the list of impoverished counties, 4,714 poor villages have been withdrawn from the poverty system, and 478,000 people have been lifted out of poverty. The poverty incidence has dropped from 35.2 percent before 2015 to below 6 percent now. We regard it as a miracle. The general secretary's effective strategy of precision poverty alleviation shows the greatness of our Party and the superiority of the socialist system. Now we still have 19 counties, 662 poor villages and 150,000 people that need to shake off the mantle of poverty. These places experience the most extreme poverty because they live with difficult conditions in the most remote areas at the highest altitude. Poverty alleviation in these places will be very difficult. However, with the warm care of the Party Central Committee, the wise guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the unparalleled superiority of the socialist system and the firm determination of the communists, the selfless assistance of our people throughout the country, and the joint participation of people of all ethnic groups in Tibet, we will surely achieve the goal of getting rid of poverty according to schedule, and we will build a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the whole country. We have confidence and determination in the poverty eradication of the last 19 impoverished counties and we also have sufficient preparation. Thank you all.
Reuters:
Why not allow the people in Tibet to decide their own future and conduct an independence referendum?
Norbu Dondrup:
The situation in Tibet has already been fully detailed in the white paper. Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times, and all ethnic groups in Tibet are members of the Chinese nation. What you mentioned just now, to speak bluntly, was created by the imperialists. We have never recognized the independence of Tibet and no country in the world has ever recognized Tibet as an independent state. Moreover, Tibet now lives happily within the big family of China. I have already spoken at length earlier that we have now become the masters of the country, society and our own destiny. The Government of the People's Republic of China has been recognized as the sole legal government representing the entire Chinese people. The so-called "Tibetan Independence" does not exist. Established by the Dalai clique outside China, the so-called "government in exile" is invalid, illegal and has not been recognized by any country in the world. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, we enjoy the warmth of the big family of our socialist motherland and have complete control over our own destiny. Thank you.
China News Agency:
Traditional Tibetan culture has long been attracting attention from home and abroad, and education is also related to the future development of Tibet. Please give introductions in these two aspects. Thank you.
Norbu Dondrup:
Mr. Dawa, deputy director general of the United Front Work Department of CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee, will give you an introduction on the education in the autonomous region.
Dawa:
Let me introduce the cultural aspect first. The central government always attaches great importance to the protection, inheritance and development of traditional Tibetan culture. The CPC Committee and government of Tibet Autonomous Region always places the protection and development of traditional Tibetan culture as an important part of economic and social development, and supports it with policies, projects, capital, technologies, talents and so on. The autonomous region collected, edited and published seven literature and art compendiums such as, "Compendium of Chinese dramas: Tibetan volume" and "Compendium of Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance: Tibetan volume". Meanwhile, historical buildings like the Potala Palace have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List; while the Tibetan opera, the Epic of King Gesar and the Lum Medicinal Bathing of Sowa Rigpa (the Tibetan Medicine) have been included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. There are also 89 national-level representative projects, 96 national-level representative inheritors, 460 autonomous region-level representative projects and 350 autonomous region-level representative inheritors in the autonomous region. Four organizations including the Potala Palace have been included on the list of National Key Organizations for Protecting Ancient Documents and Anthologies, and 291 ancient books have been included on the list of National Precious Ancient Books.
At the same time, the Central People's Government and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region have always protected the inheritance and development of minority languages. The regional government, according to relevant stipulations of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, formulated rules on learning, using and developing Tibetan language; developed the Tibetan language teaching and textbook system from elementary school to high school; and has vigorously supported the production of Tibetan language newspapers, magazines, books, radio and television programs. These have effectively promoted the widespread use of the language. The Tibetan language has become the first Chinese minority language with international standards. Now, the Tibet Autonomous Region publishes over 100 kinds of books in Tibetan language every year. All these efforts make sure the Tibetan language continue to be used in radio broadcasts, television programs, online pages, newspapers and magazines, textbooks and other published books.
As for education, as the previous speakers have mentioned, the vast majority receiving education in old Tibet were children of aristocrats. Serfs, who made up 95 percent of the total population, had no right to education, and the illiteracy rate of young adults was around 95 percent. Since democratic reform, Qamdo Primary School, Lhasa Primary School, Lhasa Middle School and many other schools have expanded rapidly. Middle schools and primary schools were established in various prefectures and counties, with primary schools set up in most townships and some villages. In 1961, Lhasa Normal School, the first school for teachers in Tibet, officially opened, and since then, Tibet University, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Tibetan Traditional Medicine College and Tibet Vocational Technical College have also been established. A relatively complete modern education system covering pre-school education, basic education, vocational education, higher education, adult education, and special education has been formed in Tibet, and the right to education for all ethnic groups is fully guaranteed.
By 2017, a total of 1,239 kindergartens, 806 primary schools, 132 junior and high schools and seven universities and colleges had been built in Tibet. The number of graduates from all kinds of schools increased from 18,000 in 1959 to over 530,000 in 2017. Other places in China also yielded a fruitful outcome in educating students from Tibet. Now, classes and schools for Tibetan students have opened in 21 provinces and municipalities, which have cultivated over 36,000 graduates with a diploma of technical secondary school or above. In 1985, the country began to cover all food and boarding fees, as well as basic expenses for study, for children of farmers and herdsmen and those from urban families with financial difficulties, and raised the standard 18 times in later years. Since 2012, Tibet has fully implemented the 15-year compulsory education policy and the level of protection has continuously improved. In 2018, the net enrollment rate of primary schools reached 99.5 percent; the gross enrollment rate of middle schools reached 99.5 percent; high schools reached 82.3 percent; and universities and colleges reached 39.2 percent. Each person in Tibet received 9.55 years of education on average. Thank you.
China Daily:
The vice chairman just mentioned there are great changes in the medical industry in Tibet. Can you please give a detailed description of the changes? Thank you.
Ren Jingdong:
As we all know, there were only small-scale government-run medical institutions in the old Tibet, employing less than 100 people. What is worth noting also is that the limited medical resources then were restricted to aristocrats, higher-ranking officials and lamas. A large number of working-class people were unable to get treatment when they contracted diseases. Over the past 60 years, the backward medical services in Tibet have witnessed a fundamental change and have virtually improved and developed in sync with the rest of the country. With steady improvements in medical services, maternal and child health care, Tibetan clinics and medicine, and disease prevention and control, infectious diseases which had severely threatened the public health in the autonomous region had been basically under control by the end of 1970s. The mortality rate and incidence of infectious and endemic diseases had also been substantially reduced. In addition, a number of hospitals have since been renovated and upgraded, including hospitals at the autonomous region level, the prefectural level and 71 medical institutions at the county level. A four-tier medical service system (referring to the autonomous region, cities including prefectures, counties and townships) covering urban and rural areas has been established. Here, I want to stress that, under the special care of the CPC Central Committee, delegations of medical professionals have been dispatched to Tibet in recent years, which include medical staff from 17 provincial and municipal regions involved in a group support program to aid Tibet. Some of them are from renowned hospitals, such as the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking University People's Hospital and Peking University Hospital. Those professionals have strongly promoted the development of the medical industry in Tibet.
There is a substantial amount of facts and data in the White Paper. This series of facts fully shows that the right to health of all ethnic groups in Tibet has been effectively guaranteed. Thank you.
Economic Daily:
During the past few years, we have observed, that transportation in Tibet has undergone a big transformation. Would you please tell us whether the constructions of infrastructure in such large scales, like, the new railways and new roads, will affect the ecological environment in Tibet?
Luo Jie:
Thanks for your concern regarding the ecological environment in Tibet. As was mentioned by Mr. Norbu Dondrup, Tibet did not have a single decent road until the liberation. The modern roads, including, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and many other roads that connect Tibet to the surrounding areas were paved at one of the most difficult times in the country. However, since the democratic reform, the transport network, including, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway, China-Nepal Highway, has taken shape quickly. At the same time, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway were renovated with asphalts. Additionally, a highway connecting Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and Gongga Airport, was also completed. Moreover, in recent years, Tibet's transport system, consisting of highroads, railways and airlines has developed well. The mileage of its highways open to traffic reached 97,800 kilometers. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lhasa-Shigatse Railway have been completed, while the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway is currently laying rail tracks. There are 92 air routes in Tibet's five airports from both home and abroad.
However, neither infrastructure constructions nor resource exploration will shake Tibet's determination to prioritize environmental protection as its top concern. The major constructions should all abide by the eco-friendly evaluation system, and the counter-pollution facilities should be designed, built and put into use at the same time with the main projects. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, a project best known for its eco-friendly endeavor, can be one such model.
The Tibet Plateau is located in the core area of the third pole of the Earth. Protecting the ecological environment of the Tibetan Plateau has important strategic significance for safeguarding the global ecological balance. Over the years, the central government and the local government of Tibet have always regarded the protection of the plateau ecological environment as a top priority. In this regard, we have also taken many specific measures:
First, we have increased our efforts to protect the local ecological environment. Tibet has formulated the "Measures of Tibet Autonomous Region's Implementation of Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Nature Reserves" and the "Measures on Supervision and Management of Ecological Environmental Protection in Tibet Autonomous Region." We have issued a number of guidelines concerning ecological conservation, such as, "Opinions on Building a Beautiful Tibet" and "Opinions on Building an Important National Shield for Ecological Security and Accelerating Ecological Progress." Those legitimate the conservation of natural reserves and wetlands, the protection of wild animals, the prevention and control of desertification and the return of farmland to forests and grassland.
Second, the total area of the ecological protection zones continues to expand. Since the establishment of Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in 1988, Tibet has established 47 nature reserves with a total area of 412,200 square kilometers, accounting for 34.35 percent of the region's territorial area. In addition, 22 ecological function protection zones have been built, including one national-level zone. 36 counties have been included in the national key ecological function protection zones; and four national-level scenic spots, nine national forest parks, 22 national wetland parks and three national-level geological parks have been established. China continues to increase investment and implement ecological compensation policies for the costs of ecological environmental protection. Since 2001, the accumulated compensation funds have reached 31.6 billion yuan for forests, grasslands, wetlands and key ecological functional zones.
Third, is the continued restoration of biodiversity. Tibet has successively implemented the ecological security shield protection construction project and the afforestation project in the basins of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Nujiang, Lhasa, Nyangchu, Yalong, and Shiquan rivers. The effect of the ecological protection initiatives has been remarkable. At present, the forest covers 12.14 percent of the whole region, and the forest area is 16.02 million hectares, including forest land, shrub land and other woodland. The comprehensive vegetation coverage of natural grassland in the region reached 45.9 percent, the natural grassland area reached 88.93 million hectares, and the wetland area reached 6.53 million hectares. Tibet has 141 kinds of nationally and autonomous region-protected wild animals, 38 kinds of nationally protected plants, and 22 unique bird species. The important ecosystems in Tibet have thus been effectively protected.
At present, the structure of the various ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau is stable, the ecological quality is stable and positive, and the quality of water, gas, sound, soil, radiation and the ecological environment are also in good condition. The water quality of major rivers and lakes such as the Yarlung Zangbo River and the Nujiang River is maintained as either Class I or Class II, and the quality of drinking water sources is good. The source areas of big rivers, grasslands, lakes, wetlands, natural forests, water ecology, geological relics and biodiversity are effectively protected. Most of the areas are still in their original state. Tibet is still one of the areas in the world with the best environmental quality. Thank you.
Hu Kaihong:
Today's press conference ends here. Thank you.
