Tibet is an inseparable part of China and its fate has always been closely linked with that of this country, said top political advisor Jia Qinglin at a symposium marking the 60th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation on Monday.

On May 23, 1951, representatives of both China's central government and the former local government of Tibet signed a 17-article agreement in Beijing, marking the region's peaceful liberation, said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Tibet's peaceful liberation "fundamentally expelled imperialist forces, safeguarded the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, cracked down on various secessionist forces and maintained national unification and ethnic unity," said Jia, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The region's peaceful liberation paved the way for Tibet's theocratic feudal serfdom to be changed, emancipating millions of serfs and greatly promoting all-round development in Tibet, said Jia.

At the symposium held at the Great Hall of the People, Jia, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, or cabinet, extended congratulations to workers, farmers, officials, police, soldiers and others from various circles in Tibet.

Jia said over the past 60 years, Tibet has made great achievements under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the support of the nation, with "people of various ethnic groups in Tibet becoming masters of their own, the economy rapidly growing, life greatly improved, religious beliefs sufficiently respected, traditional culture properly protected and environmental protection greatly strengthened."

"History has proved that Tibet's prosperity can be guaranteed only after adhering to the CPC leadership, the socialist system, the regional autonomy of ethnic minorities and a development path featuring both Chinese and Tibetan characteristics," he said.

Jia said Tibet should seize the opportunity to develop in line with the country's 12th Five-Year Plan from 2011-2015, promoting the region's economy, improving people's lives, "firmly safeguarding Tibet's social harmony and stability, deepening the fight against the clique of the Dalai Lama," and comprehensively implementing the Party's ethnic and religious policies in order to realize Tibet's lasting peace and stability.

Also at the symposium, Padma Choling, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said the region's GDP in 2010 was 83.3 times that of 1959 and per capita GDP was 34 times that of 1959 when the feudal serfdom was abolished in Tibet.

"Any attempt of separating socialist China to realize 'Tibet independence' is doomed to failure," Padma Choling said.

Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, said Tibet's peaceful liberation had brought great changes to the region, and Tibetan people lived happily and peacefully.

Lhaba Puncog, director general of the Beijing-based China Tibetology Research Center, said the peaceful liberation had guided Tibet from an old, conservative, medieval society to a modern one.

Yin Fatang, former secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPC and a retired general aged nearly 90, said officials of various ethnic groups and those sent to support Tibet from other parts of the country contributed greatly to Tibet's development and formed an "old Tibetan spirit" of hard work and devotion, which had become an important spiritual source.

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