To open new, splendid era of long-term peace, stability, high-quality development in Xizang

The social and economic progress of Xizang epitomizes the nation's outstanding achievements in development, created on the roof of the world through the Chinese path to modernization, says a white paper titled "Communist Party of China (CPC) Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements."

Tourists pose for pictures in front of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, April 25, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Liu Debin)

The white paper was released by China's State Council Information Office on Nov. 10. With detailed statistics and abundant facts, the document systematically summarizes the comprehensive progress and historic achievements in all undertakings related to the Xizang autonomous region under the CPC's strategy in governing Xizang in the new era. It fully demonstrates China's firm determination and strong confidence in ensuring good governance in Xizang and maintaining long-term stability and high-quality development in the autonomous region.

To govern the country well, China must first govern the frontiers well, and to govern the frontiers well, the country must first ensure stability in Xizang.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC held in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has deepened its understanding of the work related to Xizang through years of practice, summarized the successful experience of the CPC in leading the people to govern, stabilize, and develop Xizang, and has formulated the CPC policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era. This provides fundamental guidance for effectively carrying out work related to Xizang in the new era.

The CPC policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era, grounded on the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the actual situation of Xizang, demonstrate a keen understanding of work related to Xizang. They encapsulate the CPC's past successes in stabilizing Xizang and its plans for future development. Embodying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, these guidelines provide answers to a series of questions on the future direction and strategy in governing Xizang.

The main driver of the CPC's endeavors is the people's aspirations for a better life. From eradicating absolute poverty to developing a system of public cultural services, from strengthening its work related to ethnic affairs and managing religious affairs in accordance with the law to constantly improving its working mechanisms and governance capacity, and from making efforts to become a national or even an international model in advancing eco-civilization to ensuring the right of all people of all ethnic groups to be masters of the region and the country, Xizang, following the CPC policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era, has made significant progress in stabilizing the social environment, achieving rapid economic progress, and strengthening the Party organization in Xizang, which has led to a better life to its people, amity among all ethnic groups and religions, cultural prosperity, sound ecological systems, and secured borders.

Photo taken by a drone on May 28, 2023 shows a village in southwest China's Xizang autonomous region. (People's Daily Online/Huang Shenglin)

Together with the rest of the country, people in Xizang have witnessed the tremendous transformation of the Chinese nation from standing up and becoming prosperous to growing in strength.

Since the new era, Xizang has experienced a period of unprecedented development and huge change, bringing more tangible benefits to the people. It has achieved all-round progress and historic success in various undertakings. The fundamental reason for such huge progress is that the autonomous region follows the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and follows the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The region's achievements have proved that to ensure long-term stability and high-quality development in the region, the Party's guidelines on the governance of Xizang in the new era must be fully and thoroughly implemented. The region's development must serve to benefit ethnic unity and progress, to safeguard national unity and oppose separatism, and to improve people's lives and build social consensus, so that people of all ethnic groups in Xizang will have a greater sense of gain, fulfillment and security. To ensure long-term stability, prosperity and high-quality development in Xizang, the four main tasks of ensuring stability, facilitating development, protecting the eco-environment, and strengthening the borders must be successfully and effectively fulfilled.

Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC held in 2022, people of all ethnic groups in China have embarked on a new journey of promoting comprehensive national development and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that no ethnic group shall be left behind in building a great modern socialist country in all respects.

He urged full realization of common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups, so as to ensure that people of all ethnic groups can share the glory of building China into a great country and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Embarking on the new journey, China must align its thoughts and actions with the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee. It must firmly forge a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one single community, unswervingly follow a Chinese approach to ethnic issues, fully implement the Party's policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era, apply the new development philosophy in full, to the letter and in all fields, and promote ethnic unity and progress on all fronts.

The country must focus on safeguarding national unification and strengthening ethnic unity, focus on improving people's lives and strengthening unity in socio-economic development, consolidate its achievements in poverty reduction and comprehensively advance rural vitalization, build Xizang into a high ground of ecological progress, and pave a path of high-quality development that suits Xizang's reality.

It has been proved that without the CPC, there would have been neither New China nor new Xizang, said Xi during an inspection tour in Xizang. The CPC Central Committee's guidelines and policies concerning Xizang work are completely correct, he added.

Today, Xizang is embracing an unprecedented and extraordinary opportunity for development, as it takes flight towards a brighter future.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, guided by the CPC policies on the governance of Xizang in the new era, and with the wholehearted support of the people across the nation, as well as the collective efforts of all ethnic groups in Xizang, the autonomous region will surely open a new and splendid era of long-term peace and stability and high-quality development.