4. Implementing reform and opening up, promoting Ti-betan economy to change from a closed one into an open one and from a planned one to a market one
The 1980s witnessed a great upsurge of the reform, open-ing-up and modernization drive in Tibet, as in all the other parts of China. In 1980 and 1984, respectively, the Central Authorities held the First and Second Tibet Work Forums, setting the guiding principles for work in the region — focusing on economic de-velopment, changing from a closed economy to an open one and from a planned economy to a market one. The central gov-ernment also formulated a series of special policies for economic development in Tibet, such as “long-term right to use and independently operate land by individual households” and “long-term right to have, raise and manage livestock by indi-vidual households,” to promote the reform of the region’s economic system and its opening-up program. Since 1984, 43 projects have been launched in Tibet with state funds and aid from nine provinces and municipalities. The implementation of the policy of reform and opening up and the state aid have in-vigorated the Tibetan economy, raised the overall level of in-dustries and the level of commercialization of economic activities in Tibet, and helped Tibet take another step forward in its economic and social development.
5. Exploring and formulating the basic policies for the work in Tibet in the new period as required by the new situ-ation, constantly speeding up the development of Tibet and maintaining its stability
Ever since the Dalai Lama and his clique fled abroad, they have stuck to their claims and efforts for “Tibet independence” and secessionist activities. With the support of the CIA of US, they proclaimed the setting up of an “independent Tibet” in India, and established bases for armed forces in India and Nepal, launching armed attacks on China’s borders intermittently. In 1964, at the 151st Conference of the State Council, the Decision on the Removal of the Dalai Lama from His Official Positions was adopted, which stated, “After the Dalai Lama staged the treasonous armed rebellion in 1959, he fled abroad and orga-nized a ‘government-in-exile,’ issued a bogus constitution, sup-ported Indian reactionaries who invaded our country, and engaged in the organization and training of remnants of Tibet’s armed forces who had fled abroad with the objective of attack-ing our borders. All this proves that he has alienated himself from the country and the people, and been reduced to a traitor working for imperialists and reactionaries abroad.” After the policies of reform and opening up were implemented in Tibet, the Dalai Lama clique pressed on with their infiltration and sa-botage activities, and plotted the Lhasa riots in the late 1980s, which were quickly quelled by resolute actions adopted by the central government. In 1989 the Chinese government put for-ward ten propositions to guide the development of Tibet, which served to unify the people’s thinking and promote stability, thus constituting a turning point for the work in Tibet in the new pe-riod. In 1994 the central government held the Third Tibet Work Forum, and set the guiding principles for work in the region in the new era as follows: Focusing efforts on economic develop-ment, firmly grasping the two major tasks of developing the economy and stabilizing the situation, securing a high-speed development of the economy, overall social progress and lasting political stability in Tibet, and ensuring the continuous improvement of the Tibetan people’s living standards. At the Forum, the Central Authorities also adopted the important decisions to devote special attention to Tibet and ask all other parts of China to aid Tibet, and formulated a series of special favorable policies and measures for speeding up the development of the autonomous region. The Forum led to the birth of a mechanism for all-round aid for the modernization of Tibet, in which the central government would directly invest in construction projects in the region, provide financial subsidies, and the other parts of the country would provide paired-up aid. In 2001 the Central Authorities held the Fourth Tibet Work Forum, at which it was decided that more effective measures would be adopted and efforts would be further strengthened to support Tibet and push forward in an all-around way the region’s development and stability. Since 1994 the central government has organized 60 state organs, 18 provinces and municipalities and 17 state-owned enterprises to provide aid to Tibet in the fields of human resources, finance and materials, technology and management in a paired-up way to cover all the cities at the prefectural level and 73 counties (including cities and districts at the county level) in Tibet. The completion of 62 aid projects identified in 1994 and 117 aid projects identified in 2001, respectively, in Tibet gave a strong impetus to its economic and social development. In the meantime, the central government overcame interference and sabotage from the Dalai Lama clique, identified the reincarnated soul boy of the 10th Panchen Lama, approving Gyaltsen Zangpo’s position as the 11th Panchen Lama, and resolutely struggled against the Dalai Lama’s secessionist group, all of which helped to maintain stability in Tibet.
6. Upholding the Scientific Outlook on Development, vigorously accelerating Tibet’s development to realize leapfrog development, and achieving lasting peace based on stability
After the 16th National Congress of the CPC, in light of the new historical conditions, the Central Authorities explicitly stated that its priorities for Tibet’s economic and social devel-opment would be to ensure and improve the production and living conditions of farmers and herdsmen, and to increase their incomes as required by the Scientific Outlook on Development. By doing this, it helped to promote the region’s economy and society to develop in a better and faster way, and make all ethnic groups in Tibet enjoy the fruit of the reform and development. In 2006 the central government formulated 40 preferential policies aiming to accelerate Tibet’s development and maintain its stability, and identified 180 (the actually completed number is 188) construction projects for its 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), which helped Tibet to score remarkable achieve-ments in development and stability. Tibet’s economy developed at a high rate, infrastructure construction in transportation and energy improved markedly, a large number of major projects including the Qinghai-Tibet Railway were completed and have produced satisfactory economic benefits, social undertakings showed all-round progress, the living standards of people of all ethnic groups in Tibet were greatly improved and Tibet’s self-development capacity was further enhanced. In the mean-time, the government put down the March 14th Lhasa Incident according to law, resolutely prevented and cracked down on splittist activities instigated by the Dalai Lama clique, further conducted education in patriotism and law in the monasteries, scored a great victory in the anti-secession struggle and streng-thened ethnic unity constantly. In January 2010 the Central Au-thorities held the Fifth Tibet Work Forum, at which they further enriched and perfected the guiding principles for the work in Tibet, and drew up comprehensive plans for every aspect of its development and stability, which were: Focusing efforts on economic development, safeguarding ethnic unity, taking im-provement of people’s livelihood as both the starting point and final aim of all work, holding fast to development and stability, ensuring a leapfrog development of economy and society, na-tional security and prolonged peace in Tibet, and working for the constant improvement of the standard of people’s material and cultural life, and a sound ecological environment. At a new starting point in its history, Tibet is showing great momentum for prosperity again.
