China will take measures to boost economic and social development in Tibetan regions in four provinces, according to a notice about a meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, the country's Cabinet, discussed how to support development in the Tibetan regions of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu provinces.

Tibetan regions in these areas are autonomous where Tibetans and people of other nationalities live together. The regions are the important plateau ecological barrier that cover the head-stream area of major rivers, such as the Yellow, Yangtze and Lancang.

The ecological environment in these areas are fragile with natural disasters occurring frequently. Infrastructure remained less developed, which hindered the development in these areas, the meeting said.

Measures should be taken to protect and build the ecological environment and improve people's living standard in these areas, and to make the income of urban and rural residents approach or reach the average level in western China by 2012 and approach national average by 2020.

Moreover, public services including education, public health and medical services should be improved in these areas, and infrastructure construction should be carried out to better support development.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2008)