China on Thursday led a remarkable meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of the peaceful freedom of Tibet.

The event was organized in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The national flag of the People’s Republic of China was raised at the beginning of the celebration. People sang the national anthem.

A congratulatory message from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Central Military Commission was read.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the gathering and presented congratulatory plaques and banners.

Wang also addressed the event.

The practice of reactionary and barbarous feudal serfdom was conducted in the old Tibet. The rights of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet are guaranteed with the establishment of socialist system and regional ethnic autonomy.

Equal participation in the governance of state affairs and to administration of affairs of the autonomous region are also fully ensured.

Currently, Tibet has more than 35,000 deputies of people’s congresses and over 8,000 CPPCC members at various levels, 90 percent of whom are ethnic minorities, Wang said.

Wang noted that the GDP in Tibet flew past 190 billion yuan (about 29.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 from merely 130 million yuan in 1951.

Throughout the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Tibet hosted close to 160 million tourist visits.

Now 140 flights connect Tibet with the rest of the country and the world.

More than 90 percent of the Tibetans struggled for subsistence in the past, and up to 95 percent were illiterate. Reports show that nowadays, hunger and poverty are a thing of the past for people of all ethnic groups in Tibet, and per capita living space in Tibet is close to 40 square meters.

In the meantime, the 15-year public-funded education is conducted across the region, ending the long-standing issue of school drop-out, Wang noted.

There was a rise in average life expectancy from 35.5 years in 1951 to 71.1 years.

Emphasizing the progress of ethnic unity in Tibet, Wang said separatist and sabotage activities conducted by the Dalai group and hostile external forces have been defeated.

The central government has devoted huge manpower, resources and funding to preserve and develop Tibet’s fine traditional culture, Wang noted.

Religious beliefs of all ethnic groups are fully respected, Wang said.

More than 1,700 temples in Tibet have full access to water, electricity, the Internet, firefighting and other facilities. All of the 46,000 monks and nuns are covered by the government’s social security scheme.

The Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and other temples and sites have been renovated and are under protection. He also called for efforts to guarantee that religions in China are Chinese in orientation and guide Tibetan Buddhism in adapting itself to socialist society.

Wang said the people-centered development philosophy should be followed and high-quality economic and social development should be promoted. He also promised that the CPC Central Committee’s input in and support for the development of Tibet will only increase, not decrease.

He reiterated the CPC Central Committee’s support to Tibet in building a national demonstration region on ecological conservation, piloting a comprehensive ecological compensation program, and conducting comprehensive scientific research on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Source: Xinhua News