| 20.
Q: According to the Dalai Clique, "The Chinese Central Government has gained more
from Tibet than what it has given." Is this true? |
| | A:
Old Tibet was a feudal serfdom society combining religious authority and political
power. Due to its backward social system, its harsh plateau climate and remote
geographical situation, economic development was restricted and very slow. After
the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, helping the Tibetan people to develop
their economy and improve their living conditions became the common concern of
the central government and the Chinese people, and it is an important facet of
China's modernization drive. The Chinese central government has paid particular
attention to Tibet's economic development. From the early 1950s until 1997, the
central government allocated various subsidies, aid and investment to Tibet, with
an accumulated value of more than 40 billion yuan. From 1952 to 1993, the central
government provided 19.1 billion yuan in financial subsidies to Tibet, accounting
for over 87 percent of its overall revenue. Since 1994, the central government's
total annual financial and construction cost allocation to Tibet has been about
3 billion yuan, most of which have been used for social construction and general
improvement of the quality of people's lives. All this apart, the central government
has organized local governments of other provinces and municipalities and relevant
departments to assist and support Tibet's construction by providing aid, in terms
of finance, materials, technology and human resources. In 1984, the central government
took the decision that 9 inland provinces and municipalities, as well as certain
departments under the State Council, should participate in the construction of
43 urgent, medium-sized and small engineering projects in Tibet covered 10 businesses
and industries, with a total investment of 480 million yuan. In July 1994, the
central government arranged another 62 construction projects in Tibet, and investment
was increased from 2.38 billion to 4 billion yuan. In recent years, state ministries
and departments, plus 15 inland provinces and municipalities, have instituted
608 aid projects mentioned above, at a total investment of 880 million yuan. To
meet the needs in production and life of the Tibetan people, the central government
has conveyed large quantities of materials to Tibet, despite harsh conditions
and long-distance transportation. From 1959 to 1996, 6.74 million tons of materials
were transported to Tibet, including 1.1 million tons of commodity materials,
1.3 million tons of grain and 1.48 million of petroleum. All these facts show
that the saying "the Chinese central government has gained more from Tibet than
it has given" is groundless. | |
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