China's State Council has recently decided to continue favorable and supportive policies during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010) to promote the economic and social development in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Chinese central government always attaches great importance to the work in Tibet, having held four working conferences on Tibet since the start of reform and opening-up policy at the end of 1970s, and formulated a series of favorable and supportive policies to accelerate the economic development there and maintain stability.

 Despite the great improvement of Tibetan people's life, Tibet is still a less developed region of China due to special geographic environment and historical factors.

 The State Council, therefore, decided to continue the favorable policy already formulated in the fourth working conference on Tibet and enhanced support to Tibet in the area of agriculture, infrastructure, human resources, education, science, public health, culture and social welfare.

 The government will take further action to improve the production and life conditions of Tibetan farmers and herdsmen, and regard their income increase as a priority task in Tibetan economic and social development.

 The central government will add investment to Tibet, and by the end of the 11th Five-Year Plan period, almost all the Tibetan farmers and herdsmen will find the problems solved involving drinking water and using electricity.

 The government will continue to enhance infrastructure construction in Tibet, extending the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, reconstructing the main roads connecting Tibet and surrounding regions, accelerating the construction of airports, as well as improving the energy, postal, and telephone services during the next five years.

 The government will continue to support the development of education, science, culture, public health and social welfare, popularizing the nine-year compulsory education, enhancing high school education and improving college education.

 The government will continue to increase investment for cultural relic protection, and improve the system on disease prevention and control there.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2006)