Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the Central Government of the People’s Republic of China has put many persons, material and funds into Tibet for promoting the social and economic development of Tibet. The economic support of the Central Government has been mainly in the forms of fiscal subsidies, supporting projects for Tibet and sending cadres to support Tibet, etc.
Investments from the Central Government
According to incomplete statistics, the fiscal subsidies of the Central Government for Tibet from 1952 to 1958 were 3570 billion yuan, among them 114 million Yuan was for capital construction. Thus the socialist economic construction have been conducted to a certain extent and in a certain scope. From 1952 t0 1979, the Central Government gave 6.094 billion yuan to Tibet in the form of fiscal subsidy fixed amount allowance, special allowance and the investments in fundamental constructions from 1952 to 1958, the local fiscal subsidies given to Tibet by the Central Government increased rapidly, reaching a total of 590 million yuan. In 1952, the Central Government began to provide a large quantity of interest-free loans to Tibet. From 1959 to 1963 the loans provided by the Central Government increased annually. The total amount of loans in the five years was 9.54 million yuan, nearly 3.5 times that in the first seven years before the democratic reform. The annual interest rate decreased from 3 percent to 1 percent . Beginning with 1963 the Central Government allocated grain totaling 5 million kg as long-term interest-free loans to poor farmers for the exchange of animals for production. Up until 1964, some 15,000 poverty-stricken farmers have exchanged 13,000 farm animals successively. Thus most farmers have got farm cattle. From 1963 to 1964, the Central Government allocated funds to the tune of l.4 million yuan as volunteer investments for supporting the productions of farmers. These investments gave over 3 thousand farmers and herdsmen their own flocks and herds.
In the 1950s, the Qinghai-Tibet highway (from Xining to Lhasa with full length l,937 kilometers) and Sichuan-Tibet highway (from Chendu to Lhasa with a full length of 2.415 kilometers) have been built with a total investment of over 260 million yuan. This was the first major investment during the economic construction of Tibet by the Central Government, having primarily improved the transportation, strengthened the ties between Tibet and the inland of the motherland. In the mid-1950s, to solve the shortage of energies in Tibet, the Central Government built the first public power plant in Lhasa, i.e. Lhasa Power Plant. Later the Central Government built the biggest megawatt terrestrial heat power of China in Yangbajain. In recent years, the Central Government has successively built the Yamzhog Yumcog Geothermal Pump Storage Power Station and Chaglung Hydraulic Power Station. Among them, the Yamzhog Yumcog Geothermal Pump Storage Power Station completed. In 1997 were involved with an investment of 2.014 billion Yuan from the Central Government; they have installed capacity of 90 thousand kilowatts and annual energy output of 81.4527 million kw/h.
From 1952 to 1993, the Central Government has granted fiscal subsidy of 1 9.1 billion yuan to Tibet, accounting for 87 percent of the local fiscal revenue. The Central Government has injected fixed asset investment of over 4.7 billion yuan into Tibet. By the year 1993, total investment, including those in technological upgrade, was not less than 7 billion yuan. From 1952 to 1997, various funds injected by the Central Government into Tibet accumulated to over 40 billion yuan. Especially after the 1980s, the Central Government has put large quantities of capital into Tibet in the aspect of’ finance; the fixed subsidies have increased from 0,496, billion yuan in 1980 to 1.216 billion Yuan in 1993, and increased by l.45 times. The accumulative total of financial subsidies in the 14 years was 11.588 billion yuan. The special funds increased from 0.09 billion yuan in 1980
to 0.492 billion yuan in 1993, increasing by 4.18times. The accumulative total of the special funds in the 14 years was 2.7 billion yuan. From 1980 to 1992, the infrastructure investments given to Tibet by the Central Government reacthed 3.146 billion yuan. All these funds have been used for expenditures of public institutions, education, the development of agriculture and animal husbandry, etc. In addition, the Central Government has invested an accumulative total of 9.79 billion yuan in Tibet directly to help Tibet construct infrastructures such as hydraulic power plants, highway airports, postal and telecommunication service facilities. These projects have promoted and will continue to promote the economic and social development of Tibet. In recent years, the Central Government gave a fixed amount fiscal subsidy over l.2 billion yuan to Tibet each year.
In the 1990s, Tibet began the Eighth Five-Year Plan. To accelerate the economic construction of Tibet, and make most of the Tibetans live well-off lives by the end of the 20th century, the Central Government will continue to support Tibet and somc major projects have been determined: Three River (Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa River and Nyang Qu River) Project with a total investment of 2 billion yuan Yamzhog Yumcog Geothermal Pump Storage Power Station with the investment of 0.8 billion yuan; repairing and reconstructing the trunk lines of Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet. Nagqu-.Qamdo and the Medog section of the China-Nepal Highway with the investment of l.8 billion yuan; Lhasa telecom building, 110 thousand newly added program control lines, 54 ground stations of satellite and supported facilities in 47 counties; expansion of the Lhasa Gonggar Airport, the highest modern airport in the world – Bamda Airport, invested with 0.25 billion yuan. In particular the “62 projects” organized by the Central Government for Tibet arc the new impetuses to the Tibetan economy in the new century.
The third National Conference held in 1994 has been a new milestone for the reform, development and stability of Tibet. All the ministries and commissions of the Central Government, and all the provinces and cities and regions have fully implemented the supporting-Tibet policy of “responsibilities divided by areas, geared support and appointment in rotation ” with new peaks in supporting Tibet rising one after another. All the provinces, cities, regions and the independent cities under the Central Government, and the ministries and commissions of the Central Government have attached great importance to the “62 projects” determined in the third National Conference and the improvement of project designs and the quality and standards of the construction. The total investment rose from the original 2.38 billion yuan to nearly 4 billion yuan. At present, 60 projects have been put into operation, which have been playing a vital role in the improvement of the backwardness in transportation, energy, telecommunications and other infrastructures, development of superior industries and the enhancement of people’s living standards. Statistics showed that the GDP of Tibet reached 9.118 billion yuan in 1998, increased by 47 times compared with 1 959; the investments in capital construction have been 3.66 billion Yuan, increased by 468 times compared to the period before the democratic reform; local fiscal revenue has been 0.364 billion yuan, increased by 96 times compared with 1958. However in 2001, the GDP of Tibet was 13.873 billion yuan. The nationwide support has greatly enhanced the infrastructures of Tibet, providing more potential to agriculture and animal husbandry, setting a basis for state-owned enterprises, and thus accelerating the economic development of Tibet What a bright future of the economy of Tibet after the fourth National Conference!
Since the 1950s, the policy of “transferring cadre to support Tibet” have also fully reflected the deep brotherhood established, during the support. The whole country in particular Sichuan Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Gansu, Qinghai, has sent a large, number of cadres in the field of engineering technologies, education, science and technology, medicine and health, Generations of cadres of Han nationality and other ethnic, groups, together with Tibetan people, have built Tibet and reinforced the frontier to be an unconquerable “Great Wall” with “devoted, fearless, and intensive and pioneering efforts”
Support From Other Provinces
The unselfish support to Tibet by fraternal provinces and cities date back to the time of peaceful liberation in 1951. To help Tibet accelerate its development, each and every province and city have given material support to Tibet. Fifteen years since the peaceful liberation in 195 1, there have been in Tibet over 900 thousand farm tools and water conservancy machinery, 500 tons of chemical fertilizer, 250 tons of pesticide, 10 thousand kg of rapeseed oils, 1.5 million seedlings of fruit trees, 459 tons of animal medicine facilities and 791 breeders. During the planned economy, material was supplied from the outside, i.e. grains from Sichuan, Shaanxi Hebei, Beijing and goods for everyday consumption from Shanghai and Tianjing. Even at present, 90 percent of the
industrial goods, consumer goods in Tibetan markets are from inland.
To carry out the spirit of the third National Conference, the Central Government and Jiangsu and Beijing have invested over 0.1 billion yuan to build roads in Lhasa, among them the investment of the Central Government has reached 53.9886 yuan, Jiangsu 58 million Yuan and Beijing 6.15 million yuan. The traffic of Lhasa has been improved greatly. Now Lhasa has smooth and broad roads, complete traffic control facilities; how magnificent and splendid the luminous flux of neon lights and auto lights are! In order to make Nyingchi county to live a well-off life ahead of others, Guangdong Province has sent two groups of people for supporting Tibet, invested large quantities of capital to construct the infrastructures and animal husbandry and to enhance the degree of mechanization. Recently it invested in the construction of new districts of two towns: Lunang town and Baiyi town. The construction of the two towns has vigorously promoted the cultivation of local markets, brought local specialties to the markets, enhanced the cash income of the masses and contributed to the economic development of the agricultural and pasturing areas. From 1 994 to May 1999, Support from Beijing to Lhasa has been 0.11 billion yuan. Of all the supporting projects, there are 9 projects each involving aid amounting to over l million yuan and free funds reaching 80 million yuan, and among them 7 projects have been directly arranged by the Beijing Municipal Government with investments of over 78 million yuan. In addition, 13cijing had also selected and sent two groups of cadres totaling 71 persons to support Tibet. During the ten years from 1987 to 1997, the Central Government has given fiscal subsidy of 18.1 billion yuan to Tibet. On the basis of the first round of aid to Tibet (1995-1998), each province and city has dispatched delegations and study groups to study the actual conditions of Tibet to help the supported areas to formulate middle and long-term development plans, and input more efforts for supporting Tibet. All these measures will surely accelerate the economic development of Tibet vigorously. Every great historic change of Tibet may be credited to a great extent to the support from the Central Government and the brother provinces and cities in the whole country. In the third National Conference on the development of Tibet held by the Central Government, the support for Tibet have been strengthened.
Of the “62 projects”, 32 projects have been geared with support from each and every province and city with total investments of 0.578 billion yuan, accounting for 24.3 percent of all the investments. The governmental leaders of each province and city have attached great importance to these projects. To ensure the quality and timely completion of the projects, many provinces and cities have made first hand investigations and arranged the supporting work properly. Among the 32 projects, Guangdong, Beijing Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejing have adopted contracting system for the source of funds, technological performance, construction, installation and training of management. For example, Shandong has regarded Xigaze and the four counties (cities) supported by it as its own regions, counties or cities and given special support thereto. Thus various departments of the Party and the government and people from all walks of life have shown their common concern towards the development of Tibet. It is de- scribed that Shandong Province has, in light of the actual conditions of Tibet and the economic needs of Xigaze, regarded the construction of infrastructure, development, staff training, development of tourism, industrialization of agriculture as the key points for geared support on the principle of “concentrating efforts, giving prominence to the key points, proper selection of projects and unified arrangements”. In 1999, Shandong Province has undertaken 26 supporting projects with funds exceeding 63 million yuan. The second group of 25 supporting projects of Guangdong province involve the agricultural development, industrial and transportation production, infrastructure, municipal construction, culture and ethics, social causes. The total investment in these projects reaches 0.5 billion yuan, of which 0.28 billion yuan are provided gratis by Guangdong Province. The government of Jiangsu Province has attached great importance to the geared support and consequently the pattern of multi-layer support has been formed. For several years, the capital provided gratis to Lhasa has been 0.13 billion yuan and 22 0fthe 39 supported projects have been exceeding l million yuan. In addition, statistics show that the various capital and material provided to Qamdo by Sichuan from 1998 to 2000 count for up to 19 million yuan. The support for Tibet from all the brother provinces and cities have not only solved the shortage of capital, technologies and talents in the construction of the plateau, but also contributed to the vigorous development of Tibet, brought new things, new ideas, new methods and new science and technologies to the snow-covered plateau.