Central Gov't Sends US$46 Bln Subsidies to Tibet

The Chinese central government has sent a total of 300 billion yuan (US$46.4 billion) to Tibet as financial subsidies in the period from 1952 to 2010, with an annual growth rate of 22.4 percent, says a white paper issued on Monday.

According the white paper, "Sixty Years Since Peaceful Liberation of Tibet," issued by the Information Office of the State Council, over the past 60 years the central government has allocated more than 160 billion yuan in direct investment to Tibet and approved at different periods 43, 62, 117 and 188 major projects, respectively, concerning Tibet's long-term development and its people's livelihood.

The central government has never taken a cent from Tibet, but constantly increased the allotment in the central budget for Tibet, it says.

Moreover, the central government has adopted a series of preferential policies for Tibet in such areas as banking, finance and taxation, investment, infrastructure construction, industrial development, farming and animal husbandry, environmental protection, education, public health, science and technology, culture and physical education, and has rendered Tibet strong support in terms of finance, materials and manpower, it says.

These efforts have greatly improved Tibet's infrastructure and its people's living and production conditions, the white paper says.