Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan has urged Tibetan authorities to step up efforts to protect the environment and raise living standards on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Tibet was particularly important to China's construction and development, said Zeng during a visit to Tibet Autonomous Region.

Zeng -- accompanied by Communist Party of China (CPC) Tibet regional committee secretary Zhang Qingli and regional government chairman Qiangba Puncog -- urged local officials to improve transportation, energy and irrigation infrastructures.

He told local officials that a healthy ecosystem was vital for the region's development.

He said the regional government should support and guide local people to develop industries adapting to local conditions and ensure everyone share the benefits of development.

The government should also ensure the security of Tibet and the region's nationalities, and Tibetan culture should be protected.

Zeng also visited Golmud, a stop on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in northwest Qinghai Province, by train and met senior provincial officials.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)