President Xi Visits Tibet

President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of stability， development， ecological conservation and border security in Tibet Autonomous Region.

Xi， also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission， visited Tibet from July 21 to 23 for the 70th anniversary of its peaceful liberation. This is the first time for a top Chinese leader to take part in such a celebration in the history of the Party and the country. The following are edited excerpts of a Xinhua News Agency report on Xis visit：

During his tour， Xi extended congratulations on the 70th anniversary of Tibets peaceful liberation， visited officials and ordinary people of various ethnic groups and conveyed the CPC Central Committees best wishes for them.

Xi said over the past 70 years Tibet has made historic strides in its social system and realized comprehensive economic and social development， with peoples living standards significantly improved.

“It has been proven that without the CPC， there would have been neither a new China nor a new Tibet，” Xi said， adding the CPC Central Committees guidelines and policies on Tibet have worked well.

Xi stressed efforts to strengthen developing border areas， emphasized the four major issues of stability， development， ecology and border area consolidation， and called for new achievements in protecting the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and advancing its sustainable development.

On July 21， Xi arrived at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport and went to the Nyang River Bridge， where he learned about the ecological preservation of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its tributary Nyang， as well as the construction of nature reserves. Xi underscored the importance of protecting and restoring the ecology of major river basins.

During a visit to the city planning hall of Nyingchi， Xi called for scientifically delineating the boundaries of urban development while underlining the importance of protecting ecosystems.

In the village of Galai， Xi went to the home of Dawa Gyaltsen and chatted with the family in the living room.

He said the village epitomizes the economic and social achievements Tibet has made over 70 years since its liberation. He also hailed the village as a model of ethnic unity.

Xi later visited a city park in Nyingchi where he greeted dancing locals and tourists.

On July 22， Xi went to Nyingchi Railway Station， to learn about the overall design of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and how the Lhasa-Nyingchi section has operated since June 25. Aboard a train to the regional capital Lhasa， Xi inspected the construction along the railway. He hailed the railway as a major move to boost Tibets development and improve peoples living standards.