Representatives of people from all walks of life in Tibet, southwest China, gathered in a party held in Lhasa to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival and Tibetan Lunar New Year.
Participants exchanged warm greetings and wishes for the holiday.
Legqog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said in his New Year address that Tibet's development themes for 2002 will focus on both material and ideological build-up aimed to the substantially increase the income of farmers and herdsmen, bolsterlocal economy through updating science and technology.
Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, attended the party.
Rinzin Tsomo, a representative of the region's Lhoba and Monba ethnic groups, gave an account of the changes in culture, education, hygiene, science and technology and social lives in the region where she lives.
She said that they have had their own deputies to the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. There are also the people from the two ethnic groups engaged in public security organs, procuratorate and courts, publishing house, tourist serve, hospitals and research institutes.
Tibet's GDP reached 13.7 billion yuan(US$1.66 billion) in 2001, up 12.2 percent over the previous year. The region reaped some 980,000 tons of grain last year, which was the fourteenth consecutive bumper year.
(People's Daily February 11, 2002)
